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Kenya and Burundi are located in Central Africa and together comprise both one of the most developed countries (Kenya) and one of the most undeveloped countries in the region (Burundi). While this contrast may seem wide, both these countries struggle with average incomes ranging from $1 to $3 per day. Despite recent economic growth in Kenya, nearly a quarter of the population lives on less than $1 per day.
In Burundi, over 80% of the population live below the poverty line.
Today in Burundi, one of every 6 children will not have food or clean water
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Despite the prominence of industrialized farming, agricultural production is low and extremely vulnerable with cyclical drought. Most families survive on what they can grow or trade for each day.
These country’s are blessed with average rainfall of between 70 and 90 inches per year, but recent
years of drought have had a serious impact on the well-being of children in Kenya and Burundi, increasing malnutrition rates, morbidity and mortality. More than half a million people in drought-affected districts need emergency water supplies.
While both Kenya and Burundi have average population growth rates of 2 to 3%, recent tribal uprisings have caused remote areas of both countries to grow dramatically, almost doubling in the last two years. Many of the world’s poorest people live in these rural areas and now face severe shortages of basic social and economic infrastructure (now almost nonexistent).
For example, access to safe drinking water in Kenya and Burundi is at critically low levels. Just one in six people have access to clean water while just 40 percent has access to adequate sanitation services.
Waterborne diseases claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each year. One child in 10 dies before their fifth birthday; 40% of those die from diarrhea. Death rates in Burundi are even higher! Those that survive struggle with basic daily needs of food and clothing. With little to no industry, where do they turn for any help or opportunity for a future generation.
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