MAMAS FOR BURUNDI ASSOCIATION

MAFOBA is a non-profit association (asbl) initiated in 2015 by Burundian girls and women and approved by the Ministry of the Interior, Patriotic Training and Communal Development by Ministerial Order N°530/1460DU29/10/2018. MAFOBA is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working for the promotion of socio-economic rights, peace, leadership, integration, socio-economic reintegration and social cohesion of mainly rural communities. Our target group is particularly women and girls in rural areas, who are victims of social inequalities and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). 

II. OUR VISION.

MAFOBA dreams of becoming a flagship organisation in Burundi and in the East African Community region, with a solid, stable and dynamic structure, capable of giving impetus to change in our community and influencing our country's policies, to be taken into account in all spheres and by all actors in order to promote and consolidate peace and sustainable development.

III. OUR MISSION.

MAFOBA wants a Burundi where its people act together to collectively fight injustice, social inequality, violence in all its forms, racism and discrimination, particularly against women and girls, and is committed to the eradication of these and to civic education as well as the fight against ignorance in order to build a peaceful and decent society.

IV. OUR GOAL.

To improve the social and economic conditions of out-of-school and vulnerable rural women and girls.

V. OUR GOALS.

MAFOBA has the following objectives

- Mobilise women and girls for local entrepreneurship through income-generating activities (IGAs)

- Promote sustainable development

- Support the development of village communities in their water supply and use projects

- Support, train and raise awareness among young girls and women to empower them. 

- Promote the health of community members by preventing and combating sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

- Conduct advocacy and actions aimed at civic education, peace and non-violence.

- To popularise the integration of the environmental dimension into the economic concept of Gender and Parity.

VI. OUR APPROACH.  

All MAFOBA's actions are aimed at social cohesion, socio-economic reintegration and sustainable community development through: 1. Health: to increase rural women's and girls' knowledge of reproductive health and to promote sexual and reproductive health among adolescents, young girls and adults, and to combat the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS.                   2. Education: to give hope to destitute young girls, girl-mothers and female sex workers, helping them to return to school and/or pursue vocational training in the trades and learn to read and write (literacy) whatever their age. 3. The economy: to improve socio-economic conditions and raise the standard of living of women and girls who are particularly out of school, rural and vulnerable, promote their source of income in order to ensure their empowerment.

VII. OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.

MAFOBA has a number of areas of focus, in particular; Area/Economy through: Mobilising young people in small-scale local and income-generating entrepreneurship. Strengthening income-generating activities (AGR). Popularising the integration of the environmental dimension into the economic and social concept of GENDER and PARITY. Raising awareness of the spirit of creativity among young girls and women to empower them so that they can fully meet their basic social needs (water, health, education, etc.) and abandon the sex trade. Health: Raising awareness and popularising the prevention and fight against infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS...). Awareness-raising on the promotion of sexual and reproductive health among young people and adolescents, and on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Development: Awareness-raising and support for development initiatives targeting village communities in their projects, in particular those relating to the supply and rational use of drinking water. Strengthening and encouraging local community initiatives Training: training, informing, raising awareness and equipping young girls and women for their empowerment. Advocacy, organisation of conferences, campaigns, forums, symposiums, etc. on various educational themes and on peace, the fight against poverty, access to drinking water and responsible citizenship. Capacity building: Capacity building for MAFOBA staff and members, civil society on the implementation of debt alternatives, New technologies: Ensuring access to new information and communication technologies for people, particularly in rural areas far from urban centres (towns), provincial capitals and the capital, Bujumbura.