Burundi
Enhancing the autonomy and dignity of people with disabilities
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© N.Rouault/Handicap International Belgium
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Handicap International’s goal in Burundi is to improve the living conditions of people with disabilities and to advance their rights, by building the capacity of local organisations.
Handicap International has been present in Burundi since 1992. Our initial projects provided support for rehabilitation centres, centres for children with multiple disabilities, civil society HIV/AIDS control initiatives, and income-generation activities for people with disabilities.
Key facts
Burundi is one of the world’s poorest countries. Over 81% of the population lives under the poverty threshold.
• Population: 8.5 million
• Household Consumption: $252 per year
• Life Expectancy: 51 years
• Human Development: ranked 185th out of 187 countries
Source: UNDP HDR 2011
Controlling diabetesBurundi, November 2009. Candide Kayonde is the project leader for the Controlling Diabetes project in Burundi, a country where about 250,000 people are affected by the disease.
Our projects
 | Diabetes control Goal: Improve the quality of life of people living with diabetes and reduce the incidence rate of diabetes-related complications in the East Africa region, through capacity-building and the development of regional expertise (Burundi, Kenya, and Tanzania).
Beneficiaries: People at risk from disabling diseases and people with diabetes. |
| Access to HIV/AIDS services for people with disabilities Goal: Providing support for local initiatives improving access to HIV services for people with disabilities.
Beneficiaries: People with disabilities exposed to HIV/AIDS. |
| Case-management of women with obstetric fistula Goal: Providing access to surgery for women with obstetric fistula (a hole in the birth canal caused by obstructed labour).
Beneficiaries: Women from all communities affected by obstetric fistula and the wider community. |
 | Support for physical rehabilitation centres Goal: To enable rehabilitation centres run by partner organisations to become autonomous and provide higher quality services to a larger number of people with disabilities.
Beneficiaries: People with disabilities in Burundi. |
| Community-based rehabilitation Goal: Promote the inclusion and recognition of people with disabilities in society based on the involvement of communities, local authorities and families.
Beneficiaries: 5,000 people with disabilities, their families and communities. |
 | Inclusive education Goal: Improving awareness of disability so that teaching and learning systems can better adapt to the specific needs of children with disabilities and promote their educational development and social inclusion.
Beneficiaries: 900 children with disabilities. |
| Support for disabled people’s organisations Goal: Capacity-building for disabled people’s organisations to ensure that people with disabilities are included across society.
Beneficiaries: Members of the Burundi network of disabled people’s organisations (RAPHB) with wider benefits for disabled people in Burundi. |
| Support for refugees in the city of Bujumbura
Goal: Providing support focusing on socio-economic inclusion for refugees living in the city of Bujumbura. Addressing barriers in accessing basic social services including health, education and income-generating activities.
Beneficiaries: More than 23,000 people refugees and asylum seekers living in Bujumbura. Particular focus on refugees with disabilities, people with chronic diseases, diabetes or HIV/AIDS. |
| Socio-economic inclusion Goal: Socio-economic inclusion of disabled veterans and refugees living in cities.
Beneficiaries: 2,000 disabled veterans in five cities and provinces. |
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 | Gender-based violence and violence towards children with disabilities Goal: Improved access for women and children with disabilities to prevention, case-management and support services for victims of gender-based violence.
Beneficiaries: Disabled victims of gender based violence. |
