According to the United Nations, children in Burundi attend school for an average of 3.1 years and over 70% of the population live in poverty. Street Action’s partner, New Generation, seeks to address this by running the pioneering Road to School project in Bujumbura. The project works with street-connected children, raising aspirations and empowering them to leave street life and be reintegrated into society.

The project provides education, nutrition, healthcare, social reintegration and skills development. Education is at the centre of all New Generation’s work and the organisation is currently housing 143 children (in Bujumbura and Muyinga) and supporting them into education. Funding is sought to sustain 42 of the existing places and extend provision to 50 street children currently on the waiting list and identified by New Generation‘s outreach programme.

This three year programme will therefore provide 92 children with:
• Full time access to a good quality education.
• Additional teaching and psycho-social support – including 2 hours of homework support and extra tuition (English, maths and physics) every weekday.
• Two meals a day, with balanced nutrients and ingredients to aid health and concentration.
• Extra-curricular activities for all including coaching, ethics, dancing, cooking, theatre, exchanges and training sessions in leadership and entrepreneurship.
• Practical socio-psychological and cognitive development sessions.
• All children will work to develop vocational skills and entrepreneurship with the aim of becoming proficient in two key skills/job areas when they leave education.
• Knowledge and understanding of child rights and protection.

New Generation is currently developing a plot of land to include commercial opportunities for the young people). This will allow them to self-fund the Road to School project in the future.