Last week – in the presence of the Executive Secretary and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, the Governor of the province of Bujumbura-Rural, the President of the Communal Council, the District Chief Medical Officer, and more than 150 guests – the TUVUZANYE Mutual Health Insurance plan initiated by FXB for the community of Mutimbuzi was launched.
This region does not have a health insurance system. Vulnerable families do not have the means to consult and often have no other recourse than to self-medicate with cheap or outdated products or to share medicines to limit consultation costs. The establishment of this mutual health insurance will allow them to access proper health care and appropriate medication and will therefore significantly improve their quality of life.
TUVUZANYE already has 200 member families, and this number is expected to increase gradually to reach 8 other communes in the district.
During his inaugural speech, the Governor asked all the hill chiefs, religious leaders, or cooperative managers to sensitize and encourage their communities to join TUVUZANYE with these arguments: “This organization FXB is not an NGO of words as it is the case for many others, but FXB is an NGO that does palpable, visible activities that positively change the lives of beneficiary families. I have done the follow-up myself”.
Burundi is the 4th poorest country in the world. 75% of the population lives below the poverty line and 51% of children under 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition. Extreme food insecurity, malaria, COVID-19, and the negative impact of climate change: this country is in the grip of a major humanitarian crisis.
We are involved in this country since 2006 and have already developed 11 economic and community development FXBVillage programs in the districts of Bujumbura Mairie and Rural. Thanks to the tools and skills they have acquired, 8,500 people have already been lifted out of extreme poverty and can provide for themselves, cope with the vagaries of life and protect and raise their children with dignity. Nearly 30,000 people have also benefited from our presence in their communities through activities related to social and economic capacity building and access to water and sanitation. Three FXBVillage programs are currently under development.
