SOS Schools in Burundi

Of all the African nations, Burundi has the highest proportion of women in its work force, who make up over 90% of the labour market; yet literacy and school attendance rates for boys remain higher than for girls

In Burundi, there are currently six SOS Schools and five SOS Nurseries. These facilities provide education to children from SOS Villages and from the wider community. Staff members are well trained and the resources available to students are of a high standard.  Below you can find an overview on the SOS Children education projects.

Rodrigue's Story

Rodrigue was three when his mother died giving birth to his younger sister. He and his sister now live in the SOS Children’s Village Bujumbura. On his first day at the Bujumbura Nursery School, Rodrigue cried on entering his classroom, in case his new ‘mother’ would not come back for him. When she went to pick him up at the end of the day, Rodrigue rushed over and kissed her. Now Rodrigue is happy going to school and loves playing with his classmates.

Bujumbura : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Bujumbura has around 180 children, most of whom come from the local community, with over 20 from the SOS village.

• A wide range of early-learning activities takes place here to prepare children for their next stage at primary school.
• The school holds events through the year, such as a recent celebration of local folk culture and a day to promote awareness about HIV/AIDS.  And at Christmas, the children went to Lake Tanganyika beach where they met Father Christmas who had gifts for them all.

The SOS Primary School at Bujumbura has approximately 500 students, with around 75 coming from the SOS village.

• The school has high standards of primary school teaching and supervises other primary schools in the area. Almost every pupil passes the exam for going onto secondary school. Recently, one of the school’s pupils was placed 1st in this exam at the national level.
• As well as educational trips, school children take part in cultural events and activities. Recently, the school held a celebration of local folk arts and also took part in the World Peace Games for children and young people.

The SOS Secondary School at Bujumbura has over 550 students, with around 150 coming from the SOS village.

• The school has strong teaching in all subjects and recently achieved particularly good results in Science, Economics and the Arts. Its success rates for junior and senior students are around 90% of pupils with passes.
• A wide range of extracurricular activities takes place, including a general knowledge club and sports teams for handball and basketball. At the World Peace Games, the ladies basketball team won the championship secondary school cup. Recent trips included outings to the Rusizi Natural Reserve and the Kiganda Royal Domain for Arts pupils.
  

Cibitoke : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Cibitoke has around 75 children, with just over half coming from the local community and around 30 from our SOS village.

• The nursery opened in September 2009 and a wide range of educational and recreational activities takes place here for the all-round development of the children.
• At Christmas, the children celebrated the arrival of “Père Noël” (Santa Claus) with songs, games and recitals.

The SOS Primary School at Cibitoke has over 200 students, over 40 of whom come from the SOS village:

• The school opened its gates in September 2009 and already in its first year achieved pass rates among the children of over 80%.
• Children can take part in clubs organised by the teachers, like the Soccer clubs. Meetings are held at the school to raise awareness on issues such as HIV/AIDS and The Rights of the Child.

Gitega : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Gitega has over 80 children, with around half coming from the local community and half from our SOS village.

• The nursery offers a wide range of educational and play activities to develop the children’s intellectual, physical and social skills.
• At Christmas, “Père Noël” (Santa Claus) distributed gifts and the children celebrated with songs, dances and recitals.

The SOS Primary School at Gitega has over 400 students, with around 70 coming from the SOS village.

• Academic results from the school are high and recently the school was ranked number 1 in the province. There is particular focus on reading and writing skills, with competitions and prizes awarded to the best compositions and essays.
• The school celebrated African Child Day and marked the end of the year with a feast and entertainment. Dances at the event centred around two themes, raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and children’s rights.
  

Muyinga : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Muyinga has around 85 children, with over 60 from the local community and the remaining from our SOS village.

• The nursery offers educational and recreational activities which develop the children’s intellectual, physical and social skills.
• Towards the end of December, we invite parents and guests to join in our Christmas and New Year celebration, when the children play games and receive gifts from “Père Noël” (Santa Claus).

The SOS Primary School at Muyinga has around 430 students, with over 100 coming from the SOS village.

• Academic results from the school are high and recently over 95% of pupils passed their exams. The school also ranks top of the 128 schools in the province. Care is also taken to provide extra tutorials for pupils with learning difficulties or problems in certain subjects.
• The school celebrated African Child Day and marks the end of the school calendar with a trip for the year 6 pupils who have completed their primary years.
  

Rutana : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Rutana has around 80 children, with over 60 from the local community and around 15 from our SOS village.

• The nursery offers activities which encourage the children’s intellectual and physical development. Education includes the learning of languages and encouragement of speech, where the teachers compose special poems for the children.
• At the school feast in June, the children perform songs, dances, sketches and recitations. And in December, we welcome Father Christmas, who brings gifts for the children.

The SOS Primary School at Rutana has over 230 students, with around 90 coming from the SOS village.

• Academic results from the school are high with exam pass rates over 95%. The school ranks top of the 104 schools in the province. At the end of every term, the top 5 children in each class receive an award. Any children with learning difficulties receive extra tuition sessions. A ‘Child Protection Team’ has been set up at the school, which includes teachers, parents and pupil representatives.
• The school takes part in cultural and sports events, such as the World Peace Games.