SADC’s program works to change harmful gender and social norms and practices. SADC partners with local organizations to provide emergency medical, counseling and other services for survivors of violence in Bujumbura and throughout the rural dioceses. We support SADC’s strong presence in national-level advocacy forums on violence against women, HIV/AIDS, family planning and other social development issues. Our partner, Mothers’ Union, focuses on women’s literacy and financial inclusion. In our partnership with CMS-Africa, we promote financial literacy and savings among women and youth to help them build financial management skills and access micro-loans to improve their household financial resilience.
Our partnership with SADC focuses on improved agriculture and environmental protection. We work with community members to use farming techniques such as building contour trenches and planting trees on and off farms. As part of this program, farmers learn about composting, improved crop varieties, tree nurseries and other practices that enrich their livelihoods and environment. Since 2013, community members have planted nearly 4.7 million trees in conjunction with the Burundian Ministry of the Environment. Savings with Education (SwE) groups integrate savings and lending education into program activities to strengthen financial literacy, group solidarity and social cohesion.
