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Message fhcanada.org 1BurundiKABARORE & MATONGO Mid-Year Community Update 2025In Kabarore, families are working together to build brighter futures for their children!In Kabarore—now in its nal year of partnership with FH—preschool teachers gained new tools to support early learning, while thousands of caregivers began preparing children for school through play and connection at home. Children are growing up surrounded by support, with caregivers and communities working together to give them a stronger start.Water committees are trained and ready, laying the foundation for new water points that will make safe drinking water more accessible. These changes are already helping prevent disease across the community.In the elds, farmers are increasing their harvests with new techniques. Savings groups are thriving, with over 4,000 members using their pooled resources to invest in small businesses. From beekeeping to sewing kits, cooperative eorts are boosting incomes and building stronger community ties.Meanwhile, FH Burundi welcomes Matongo to a new partnership! Early steps are underway to strengthen families, support schools, and build a foundation for long-term change.Thank you for walking alongside these communities as Kabarore celebrates all they’ve built and the other begins a new journey of hope and possibility!POPULATION38,456HOUSEHOLDS8,381PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS6,144Written by Medard Havyarimana, FH Burundi Prepared by FH Canada20 COMMUNITIESThe water source constructed by FH helped me and my community get [safe drinking] water for daily use which helped my family members now have a healthy life. The distance to the fetch water reduced from 4 kilometres to 300 metres.— Monique, community member, Jene Walking with Kabarore20252015

fhcanada.org 2A Future Not Set In StoneStory and photographs collected by Gerard Biregeya.For years, Jeremie believed his family’s future was set in stone. “We were weak, often ill due to poor hygiene and nutrition, and socially isolated,” he remembers. “I felt as though we were condemned to live our entire lives in extreme poverty.”His son Eric, now 15, was growing up with that same belief. He struggled in school and didn’t see the point of continuing his education. In this area of Burundi, young boys often leave school to work in nearby mines, convinced it’s the only way to earn a living.Back then, neither Jeremie nor Eric could see another path. But when FH arrived in their community in 2015, something began to shift—not just physically, but mentally.At rst, Jeremie admits, he didn’t think much would change. But through cascade group training, health and hygiene education, and conversations with local volunteers, something clicked. “What was missing was awareness. We had expected to receive everything from FH, but I eventually realized that FH helped us become self-sucient through training… I learned that our community, and even my family, had enough resources for development.” The family began applying what they learned. They built a proper latrine, started a kitchen garden, used compost to improve their harvests, and joined a savings group. Over time, their home became a healthier, more hopeful place—and so did their outlook.That shift in mindset opened new doors for Eric.Surrounded by encouragement and stability at home, he began to see school dierently—not as a dead end, but as a real way forward. While classmates left to chase quick earnings, Eric stayed. Because now, he could imagine a dierent kind of future.Today, Eric is thriving at school and even helps his classmates with their math coursework.“ In the rst three grades, he didn’t get good marks,” Jeremie says. “But now, he organizes study sessions with other classmates, even during his spare time.”Eric dreams of going to university, and hopes his siblings will too. More than anything, he wants everyone in his community to stay in school and discover what he now knows. Their future isn’t set in stone—it’s theirs to shape.From the CommunityI learned that our community, and even my family, had enough resources for development

fhcanada.org 3Little Learners, Big BeginningsEducation in Kabarore is beginning earlier and stronger! Fifty preschool teachers received hands-on training in age-appropriate, play-based teaching methods that help young children build condence and curiosity from day one.At home, parents and caregivers are joining in too. Through cascade groups, more than 6,000 families learned how to nurture early learning through stories, play, and everyday connection, helping children build strong foundations before they ever set foot in a classroom.Last year’s Let’s Learn to Read project continues to shape early primary classrooms, where children are growing in both literacy and condence—laying the groundwork for a lifetime of learning.The Ripple Effect of Healthy HabitsClean water is about to reach even more families in Kabarore, thanks to strong systems and local leadership! In preparation for new water point construction, FH helped form 20 water committees made up of 100 dedicated community members. These groups received hands-on training in water safety, environmental protection, and how to keep water sources clean and safe for everyday use.And when a contagious illness appeared in the area, that knowledge made a dierence. Community members quickly put their training into practice, stopping the spread before it could grow. With strong habits and systems in place, families are staying healthy, preventing disease, and creating a safer future for their children.preschool teachers equipped with play-based strategies to spark a love of learning50volunteer leaders trained, reaching 6,144 caregivers with tools to support early learning at home512local leaders trained to manage water sources across 20 communities100Practicing what they’ve learned, women in Kabarore are keeping their families healthy by washing dishes with clean water and drying them safely in the sun!Health & EducationI am thankful to FH staff who used to visit me at school and at home, giving us advice on school importance which encouraged me to work hard. I advanced my school grades, being the seventh in my class last year, because before I didn’t see the importance of school.— Benigne, student, Randa

4From Seeds to SustainabilityFarmers in Kabarore are putting new techniques to work and seeing the results in their elds and on their tables! More than 120 farmers received maize seeds and training to boost their harvests, helping families grow more of the food they rely on every day.With support from FH, 32 hectares of swamp land in Nayandaro were transformed through irrigation and hands-on coaching, bringing new life to the soil and fresh food to local homes.Working together is also making a big dierence. Four farmer groups were trained in cooperative leadership and management. 44 farmers gained practical skills to better care for livestock, while 48 local agriculture workers learned sustainable methods they’re now sharing with others—ensuring that knowledge keeps growing, just like their harvests.Banking On Each Other climateSavings groups continue to transform lives in Kabarore. With 187 groups and more than 4,400 members—most of them women—these groups provide critical access to savings and loans. Families are investing in everything from goats and gardens to land and small businesses. Together, members have saved over $42,000 USD and issued more than 4,000 loans.This local investment is sparking new ventures, including a youth sewing initiative, a beekeeping cooperative, and a unique faith leader forum with a maize grinding business. By working together across faiths to support their community, these leaders are fostering unity and modeling a holistic kind of development that cares for the whole person. These creative eorts are building community income and social cohesion—one shared investment at a time.Thank You! FH Burundi, FH Canada, and the families of Kabarore and Matongo are so grateful for your faithful generosity! In Kabarore, you’re fueling real and lasting change in classrooms, on farms, and in homes. And in Matongo, your generosity is laying the groundwork for transformation as a new partnership begins. Thank you for being part of this exciting journey out of poverty!farmer groups trained on implementing and leading agricultural cooperatives4savings groups with 4,452 members investing together to support their families187farmers and 9 cooperatives equipped with 688 kilograms of maize seeds and training to boost food security120Cyprien puts new farming techniques into action in Rorero—growing more maize to feed his family and strengthen his community’s food security!Livelihoods@fhcanada @foodforthehungrycanada @fh-canadafhcanada.org/storiesFollow your impact all year long.saved and 4,385 loans fuelling local businesses$42,217USD