The war that shaked Burundi since 1993, and the consecutive propagation of AIDS, have deeply touched the lives and balance of many of its people, essentially the burundese children. Thousands of children survivors of the massacres are now orphans, in charge of their younger brothers and sisters welfare; many have seen the death of their parents. Some others have joined by force the armed groups and used for military end. Their psychological health is fundamentally shattered. These children can't live the way they used to any more.

Most of these children can hardly integrate the burundese society or have regular school days. These troubles are most of time treated the wrong way by their family circle and the public services.
A great number of the children is rejected by the system, unable to build their future or to be received by a foster family. In order to contribute to solve the problem, AMADE Burundi launched the building of a centre that will provide psychological assistance and follow-up to hundreds of children in distress.

AMADE Burundi already insures an important help to burundese children through its community relaies, its psychologists and social workers: medical assistance, education, psychological help. Nonetheless, these children need a specific attention, and have to be treated in a specialized establishment, adapted to their particular needs, equipped with all the necessary services: psychotherapy, legal assistance, counselling for parents as well as children.

AMADE Mondiale and the ICD joined to AMADE Burundi in order to realize the project, through a first 130.000 Euros financial support. 47.000 supplementary Euros have been paid to finance an extension of the Reference centre, i.e. offices and extra rooms to receive the children .
The foundation stone of the Centre has been laid in Bujumbura on 3 February 2007, in the presence of HRH The Princess of Hanover, on the occasion of Her humanitarian journey in Africa.

From July to December 2007, 173 children in danger have been assisted and treated within the centre (104 girls and 69 boys). Most of them went back to a normal life in their original environment, though some children need a longer and more specific treatment. During the same period, 123 teachers benefited from psychosocial support courses. Thanks to the efforts of the members of AMADE Burundi, real improvements have been measured, and hope is slowly coming back.