The AFSC Burundi Program accompanies and strengthens civil society and local faith-based organizations that are reaching out to communities, using a three-component approach of economic reintegration, social cohesion, and trauma healing. The program helps young people enhance their skills and exposes them to self-employment opportunities in their communities.

In an open-air market in Burundi, Itangishaka Hafsa holds a platter piled with smoked fish. She is selling mukeke—a local fish that can only be found in the country’s Lake Tanganyika. 

Tarisai* is a 33-year-old mother of three in Caledonia, a settlement on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe. She is a member of the local peace committee, which helps residents resolve conflicts peacefully. And for the past three years, she has worked as chairperson of the community’s food processing enterprise group, coordinating and leading its efforts. That has allowed Tarisai to earn enough money to put food on table for her children.

Saif is a passionate youth advocate who enjoys designing holistic and multilayered learning journeys to enable the youth to meet their developmental needs positively. Since 2006, Saif worked on the design of several frameworks such as The Hearts & Heads PSS framework, The GirlSPARKS girl-centered-design framework and Shabab framework for the improvement of youth civic engagement.