Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in Burundi has become a very credible organisation over the last few years. Initially, they focused on running a Discipleship Training Program, equipping young passionate believers for a lifetime of service. They had a special emphasis on reaching out to fishermen along Lake Tanganyika.
More recently, they have built a school in Kabezi, to the South of the largest city, Bujumbura. It is a highly-considered school that sees wealthier children be driven to from the capital, as well as serving the poorest of the poor. There are community outreach projects that have been established, as well as the raising of pigs to provide some level of self-sustainability. They have a daily porridge programme for malnourished children, as well as close links with the local community of Batwa Pygmies – the minority ethnic group in Burundi. They also facilitate finding adoptive parents for orphaned children. YWAM has therefore had a huge impact in that vicinity and are highly valued by the government for their contribution.