NatalieRose Brogan

CPO #446
HNGR 112
3/7/13
Spring 2013

True Relief
Burundi
In the book When Helping Hurts, the author, Brian Fikkert says, Poverty is rooted in broken
relationships, so the solution to poverty is rooted in the power of Jesus' death and resurrection to put all
things in right relationship again. The problem of poverty is far too complex of an issue for one to solve
on their own. It is a problem that can seemingly only be solved through the indescribable power of Jesus
Christ, with the help of his servants carrying out his mission. (Fikkert)
Burundi is a small landlocked country in Sub-Saharan Africa with a population of about 9.5
million people. Burundi is among the top ten poorest countries in the world and according to the United
Nations Development Program, approximately 84 percent of the Burundian people live in extreme
poverty. Although this country has a lot of economic problems, some of Burundis greatest assets are their
openness to, and restrictions upon foreign investment, efficient capital markets, and regulation of
corruption. (Brautigam)
The Government of Burundis view on foreign investment is evident in the Investment Code
which took place in September of 2008. The Code is basically a law to ensure and protect the production,
transformation, and distribution of goods and services. The main goal is to entice and reassure the foreign
investors. Later, in 2009, several amendments were put in place to help clarify some of the vague
provisions of the Code. These amendments touched on substantial tax exemptions for land purchases, tax
reductions for goods used to create new businesses, and profit-tax breaks for investors. (Department of
State)
Another positive element in Burundi is the efficient capital markets. The Burundian government
policies facilitate the free flow of financial resources in the markets. The basic theory is that foreign

investors have access to all existing credit instruments. There are no real restrictions on foreign investors
access to local credit, but the local markets own resources are very limited. In March 2012, the U.S
Treasury Department began working with Burundis Central Bank to develop a regulatory system and
establish a bond market. The financial markets are small, however, they could potentially allow the
movement of large amounts of capital.
Another great asset is the regulation of corruption. You would be naive to say that Burundi is not
corrupt; however, Burundi currently has a number of laws and regulations prohibiting corrupt practices
such as bribery, preferential hiring, and promotion and embezzlement. The downside to these practices is
that these measures are rarely enforced. This is mostly due to under-staffed or poorly trained police force
and civil service.
Burundi is a partner with the United Nations Anti-Corruption Convention on combating bribery.
The U.S. has often tried to help aid Burundi, and because of their heavy involvement, the major U.S.
firms have noted corruption has never been in obstacle when investing in Burundi. Corruption is,
however, seen as one of the common barriers to overcome when conducting business in that area.
(Department of State)
Another big issue that the Anti-Corruption Convention helps to prevent is bribery. Giving or
receiving bribes, is technically a criminal act which is punishable by six months to ten years in prison
depending on the severity or the amount involved. Burundis Anti-Corruption Brigade is in charge of
enforcing this legislation, but has very limited jurisdiction. Cabinet members and parliamentarians have
immunity from prosecution on corruption charges. However, in August 2010, the President announced a
zero tolerance policy for corruption, and the Ministry of Good Governance is developing a plan to battle
corruption at all levels.

This country has some great assets and strategic plans in place to help the suffering economy, but
unfortunately they have far more obstacles than benefits. Some of Burundis greatest challenges are the
failing education system, unclean living and ecological conditions, and the dilemma of foreign aid.

The education system in Burundi may be one of the biggest issues. Not only is the current
economy and working conditions poor, but the failing education system does not prove to give a bright
future to come.
The war ridden society of Burundi has had a devastating effect on the economy of the country.
Therefore, Burundian economy lacks the infrastructure to provide the children a secured life and
opportunities for education. There is primary education that is mandatory for kids from age 7 to age 12.
While you would think this would equip each child with at least some formal education, the enrollment
rate in these schools are alarmingly low. A census taken about 10 years ago indicated that just under 50%
of age-eligible students were actually attending school. Even more striking is that only 9% of kids at the
secondary school aged level were enrolled in a school. (Jackson)
The literacy rate of the country as a whole is also an unsettling statistic. Burundi has a literacy
rate rank of 157 out of 194 countries, and the overall literacy rate is docked at 59%. This is largely due to
the poor economy of the country, as well as the inadequacy of teachers and infrastructure. (Jackson)
The poor ecological condition of the country is another constant burden. Socioeconomic progress
has been much slower in the country of Burundi, largely due to the countrys large structural and historic
economic problems and socio-cultural conditions. Progress is limited by high levels of poverty,
overpopulation, ecological constraints (drought and occasional floods) and a lack of exploitable natural
resources. (Mwebaza)
A major cause of Burundis environmental threats is one of the highest population densities in
Africa: Burundi has a density of over 300 inhabitants per square kilometer in some areas. It also has a
high population growth rate of 3.2 % per annum, and the population is estimated to reach about 13

million by 2020. Land pressure has led individuals to relocate on hillsides, where the soil is shallow, low
in fertility, and easily affected by erosion.
Cultivation is also spreading to the wetlands, where constructed drainage systems from
surrounding hillsides are destroying many of these ecologically valuable areas. Also, much of the original
forest cover has been cleared due to extensification of agriculture as well as timber and fuel wood
harvesting. The need for wood as fuel has caused increasing rates of deforestation in the country. Very
little of Burundis native fauna or flora remain today and species such as elephants and gorillas have
become locally extinct. In addition to various precious metals and minerals that one could find in this
land, phosphate and calcareous deposits exist in Burundi that could be extracted and put to use to improve
the fertility of the acid soils. (Mwebaza)
A third problem or dilemma is receiving foreign aid. Being the recipient of aid, in theory, sounds
like a great thing, but large amounts of foreign aid can also work against governance improvements and
country as a whole.
Some benefits of high levels of aid include improving the quality of the civil service,
strengthening policy, and establishing strong central institutions. The reverse can also be true. One of the
negatives with high foreign aid is that it requires constant government oversight. Officials are having to
devote a majority of time to oversee these projects, instead of making advancements of their own. In
addition to the need of government officials, donors require local staff and it is rare to find an abundance
of trained employees for the job. (Knack)
The World Bank made a comment on the issue of these heavily aided African countries, donors
may fragment central capacity for policy formation, entering with ministries into bilateral deals on
multiple projects without determining whether their cumulative effects are collectively sustainable or
mutually consistent.
Lastly, there is always the concern of dependence. While these aids are very helpful and in most
cases necessary, this often becomes problematic because when this aid falls through or the donor pulls

out, the citizens of Burundi will have become so dependent that they no longer know how to be selfsufficient and this causes more destruction in the end.
So the question becomes: how do we help a nation in such dire need with such heavy
complications? Later in Brian Fikkerts book, When Helping Hurts, he says, Poverty alleviation
occurs when the power of Christ's resurrection reconciles our key relationships through the transformation
of both individual lives and local, national, and international systems. He makes note of the fact that it is
firstly through the resurrection of Christ that this can take place. Keeping that in mind, we can then begin
to develop an individual relationship then move to a broader scale.
It is important to consider how to relate to the intended people group on a spiritual level. Thats
why a key factor to consider when dealing with poverty relief is the religious makeup of that country. It is
important to know how to reach the people of that nation. The citizens of Burundi are composed of the the
Twa, Tutsi and Hutu peoples. Many sources suggest that Christian religions make up about 75 percent of
the population in this Eastern African country. It is said that approximately 60 percent of the 75 is
practicing Roman Catholicism while Protestant and Anglican practices constitute the remaining 15
percent. About 20 percent of the population hold to traditional indigenous religious beliefs. The number
of practicing Muslims is estimated to be at 5 percent, with the majority of whom live in urban areas.
Sunnis make up the majority of the Muslim population, the remainder being Shia. (Fikkert)
In the country of Burundi, there is a constitution and other laws put in place to ensure the
protection of religious freedom and there is a general respect towards the varied religious freedoms.
Although there are no alarming signs of discrimination based religious affiliation, there are also no
attempts to fully support it either. It is simply a choice that the citizens of this country can choose to
participate in if they wish. The government requires religious groups to register with the Ministry of the
Interior. Each association with a religion must provide their denomination or affiliation, as well as a
number of other requirements. (Refworld)
North American Christians can come off as being conceited in serving and can often think they
are saving the world by taking a week-long service trip to Africa. My intent is not to bash short-term

missions, because I do believe it is very important and can be very impactful for the suffering people as
well ones serving. I just believe that as stewards of Gods creation, we ought to fully educate ourselves on
the best way to help these Third World countries so that we may truly impact them to the best of our
abilities.
Matthew 25:40 says, The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least
of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. From this, we know that to serve the poor and
struggling countries in the Global South, means to be serving our King. My prayer is that as we go into
this hurting world, that above all else, we would be a light for Him.

Works Cited
"2012 Investment Climate Statement - Burundi." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of
State, Jan. 2012. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.
Deborah Brutigam, Deborah, and Strephen Knack. "Sub-Saharan Africa." JSTOR. Economic
Development and Cultural Change, 2004. Web. 08 Mar. 2013.
Fikkert, Brian. "When Helping Hurts." BARNES & NOBLE. Moody Publishers, 24 June 2009. Web. 07
Mar. 2013.
Jackson, Tony. "Equal Access to Education: A Peace Imperative for Burundi." Www.eric.ed.gov.
International Alert, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2013.
Mwebaza, Rose. "Environmental Governance and Climate Change in Africa : Legal Perspectives."
(Article, 2009) [Wheaton College. Institute for Security Studies Monographs, Nov. 2009. Web. 08
Mar. 2013.
Refworld. "2011 Report on International Religious Freedom - Burundi." UNHCR. United States
Department of State, 30 July 2012. Web. 08 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,,,BDI,,502105d3c,0.html>.
Thomas-Slayter, Barbara P. "Southern Exposure." Google Books. Kumarian Press, Incorporated, 2003.
Web. 08 Mar. 2013. <http://books.google.com/books/about/Southern_Exposure.html?
id=C_jsAAAAMAAJ>.
World Bank Group. "Burundi." Home. N.p., 12 Sept. 2012. Web. 08 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/burundi>.
The Bible