A Burundian girl plants fruit to feed brother

Aline is a remarkable teenager who has started a green movement in her community, helping people in her area to care about the environment and to grow a variety of fruit and vegetables. These activities are helping communities to become more resilient in times of natural disasters, namely drought, and when faced with increasing food prices and a reduction in the types of food available in the market.

Two years ago, Aline was inspired to educate others in her community about the environment and their access to healthy food. She first learned about the importance of a balanced diet, when her then 2-year-old brother was found to be malnourished.

In rural Burundi, where Aline and her family live, two out of every three people live on less than $US1 per day. According to the World Health Organization, children are particularly vulnerable, and the acute malnutrition rate is up to 17.8 percent.

Aline’s brother, Leandre, suffered from poor health and stunted development due to his malnutrition.

“We had despaired, we had given up, because when he (was) two years, he looked as a six-month-old child,” said Aline’s mother, Isabelle.

World Vision Burundi staff suggested Leandre be taken to a nutritional centre. Aline was tasked with the responsibility of taking her baby brother and it was there that her inspiration began. At the centre, Aline participated in a nutritional rehabilitation and education program aimed at combating malnourishment in children.

When Aline learned about the importance of a balanced diet and eating fruit, she was inspired to plant fruit trees, and then vegetables. Aline’s mother says the new fruit trees that her daughter planted saved her son’s life.

“I discovered that they [were] mainly treating him by giving him food, a balanced diet, especially fruit. Since that time, I decided to farm fruit. [I planted] the very ones (trees) they gave him as a medicine. I did not know that my brother was crippled because of lack of such food,” said Aline.

Aline is at the forefront of an environmental movement in her community. She has planted dozens of fruit trees, converted vacant land into gardens, and harvested pineapples, cassava and garden vegetables.

Once Aline started planting, she couldn’t be stopped. Aline’s next stop was her school. She negotiated with school authorities to have a hectare of school property converted into a garden.

Soon, she involved her friends and with the support of World Vision, a club was formed, currently with 40 members. Club members, Gateka, 8, and Schadrack, 9, say they decided to join when they saw how beautiful the garden was at their school. Club activities have increased the availability of nutritious foods and protected the environment.

During the nutrition program, Aline learned that by consuming fruit and vegetables she could combat poor health. However, in order to have good crops, good soil was needed. And to have good soil, advocacy for better environmental protection was needed.

World Vision provided seeds and seedlings, and taught the group how to protect the environment by planting trees or anti-erosive grass.

“In the beginning we thought children would ask for trees they were used to, especially trees used to make timber when they have grown up enough, but all children are asking for fruit trees. They said it was the advice of their classmate Aline,” explained Leonard Kameca, a World Vision Burundi community development worker.

Aline spends a lot of time recruiting other school children from neighbouring schools and influencing them to care for the environment and consider how it can be strengthened in preparation for disasters, as well as providing for communities now.

Aline’s efforts have also been appreciated by Burundian civil servants in charge of protecting the environment.

Leonidas Bambara, a technical adviser in the National Institute for Environment, admires Aline's initiative. He says many adults in Burundi still don’t understand that protecting the environment is a community issue and hunters burn down hectares of forest each year. Leonidas hopes that the influence of children like Aline will help the people of Burundi to better address environmental issues.