The Light of Hope in Burundi

Education is the first and greatest gift we can offer a child. It is the gateway to freedom, independence, and dignity. In Burundi, many children don’t even know what a school looks like. They walk for miles—often barefoot and hungry—just to reach a classroom, if there is one.

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In 2007, with the support of the Chatzivei School, we founded the first primary school in the city of Buhorama—a school for poor, orphaned, and abandoned children. The opening ceremony was attended by the President of Burundi and the Greek Consul—a day of joy, hope, and new beginnings.

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Since then, our dream has grown:

• In 2014, we founded a secondary school so learning wouldn’t end after primary education

• In 2018, we opened our high school, offering full secondary education

All three schools stand side by side, forming a beacon of knowledge for more than 1,100 children.

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In Burundi, children don’t say “my room,” “my breakfast,” or “my parents.” But thanks to this school, they have their own desk, classroom, teacher—and dream.

Our “Heart Children” programme is a powerful way to “adopt” a child—not legally, but with your heart. For just €20 per year, anyone can become a part of a child’s life.

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This support covers:

• Basic nutrition

• School uniform and shoes

• School supplies and books

• Medical care and medicines

• Participation in cultural and recreational programmes

Most importantly, it gives children hope—showing them that someone, somewhere in the world, truly cares.

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Sponsors describe their bond with the children as unique and reciprocal. Children send letters, drawings, and heartfelt messages. And sponsors no longer feel like donors—they become family.

The needs of children in Burundi are simple—but essential: food, water, clothing, medicine. Things taken for granted elsewhere are precious treasures here.

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What we’ve achieved so far:

• Provided daily meals of rice, beans, and sauce—often their only meal of the day.

• Established a small pharmacy for basic medicine and first aid.

• Gave new school uniforms—a gesture of equality and dignity.

• Brought clean water through infrastructure projects: piping, tanks, and rainwater collection.

• Donated bicycles to children walking kilometres each day.

Every time a child tastes an egg for the first time, watches a film, or wears new clothes, a part of the world changes.

Ten Days of Life

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In the summer of 2014, a group of volunteers from Greece travelled to Burundi to offer a summer creativity programme to the children.

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Activities included:

• Painting with materials the children had never seen. Hesitant hands became expressive, and the school walls turned into an art gallery.

• Music and singing, filling classrooms with rhythm, joy, and movement.

• Breakfasts with boiled eggs and bread rings—first-time tastes for many.

• Cinema nights with a generator and Charlie Chaplin films—a magical experience for children who had never even seen electric light.

• Games and sports—football, volleyball, tag, hopscotch. The courtyard filled with laughter, dust, joy, and life.

Every evening ended around the campfire, with singing and dancing under the moonlight—a moment of unity where volunteers and children became one heart.

Spiritual life is a vital anchor for the people of Burundi. The Church of St Alexios and the Twelve Apostles, beside the school, is a living centre of faith, hope, and community.

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Each Sunday:

• The service is attended by children, parents, and teachers.

• The children’s choir sings with joy—often in Greek!

• After the liturgy, we offer beans, rice, and sweets as a gift of joy for all.

Father Vasileios, a kind and devoted priest, personally cares for 17 poor children in the capital—providing shelter, food, and education. He is one of our most precious partners in this mission.

Our work doesn’t stop in Buhorama. It has expanded to neighbouring impoverished areas:

• In Gikungwe: we rented farmland for cultivation and provided a bicycle for the local priest.

• In Kanyosha: we distributed beans and sweets, and promised continued presence.

• In Bujumbura: we support the Church of the Virgin Mary, a law student, and the Greek community.

Our mission is like a river: it begins at a source and flows outward—watering hearts and changing lives.

Our mission in Burundi is alive and growing, fuelled by love, faith, and the belief that humanity is action.

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You can become a part of it:​

• Sponsor a child through Heart Children

• Support our schools

• Join our mission

• Give joy—give life