Check out this article from Edmonton about our partner Poul Mark of Transcend Coffee! It's been great working with him and seeing the changes in Burundi!
Growing Hope
issuu.com
Poul Mark, an international coffee expert, is putting his boots where his beans come from. He’s partnered with Food for the Hungry for the next five years to lend his expertise to the coffee growers of Burundi.
Just last year only 60% of children attending school in Musema were learning in adequate classrooms and only a quarter of children attended school at least 80% of the time.
Recently, the community has made great progress in all aspects of development, and it’s showing in the education sector! This year, 98% of children in the community are attending primary school, with 90% of them in good classrooms and 90% missing less than two classes a month!
Parents have been actively attending school meetings, showing their support for the importance of education. Teachers have been receiving extra training, and students are being given access to the supplies and uniforms they need to be able to attend school.
Musema primary school is now among the top performing schools in the region. And most importantly, many students are succeeding in the national tests that allow them to move on to secondary school!
http://ow.ly/i/sPbx
In the Musema village of the Kayanza community in Burundi, there were significant fears about HIV/AIDS testing. Many other people simply didn’t know the vital importance of testing.
With the simple objective of fighting HIV/AIDS, FH Burundi worked with the ministry of health and local associations to bring the testing rate up from 25% to 40%.
This has been achieved through mobilizing groups – especially pregnant women – to go to the hospital, education about the tests, encouraging the creation of AIDS prevention clubs at school, encouraging couples to be tested and by increasing the number of health practitioners.
Volunteer health promoters are continuing to mobilize families to take part in these important health screenings.
Sweet health update below!!
Through health trainings, children’s clubs, home visits and a partnership with the provincial health office, some new health habits are forming in Buraino I, part of the Kayanza community.
A few years ago, only 10% of mothers had a place for washing hands after using the washroom. Now, through grassroots community teaching, that percentage has climbed to 35%.
More exciting is that 100% of children are now taken to the hospital when they’re sick, compared to 60% before. And 95% of children are now sleeping under mosquito nets!
Before, the village saw many cases of malaria, but they have decreased. Further objectives of the community are to decrease instances of worms, and to clear bushes to fight mosquitoes.
We're pretty excited to hear about this great progress!
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Shawn Plummer This is the dream of public private partnerships - well done!
March 09, 2012 9:46 am