Living up to expectations
Association Burundaise pour le Bien-Etre Familial (ABUBEF) is a vibrant organization, in one of the smallest countries in East Africa, whose
name has come to mean good sexual and reproductive health.
Since its formation in 1991, Burundians at the margins of society, in rural areas and the young have placed their trust in the Association Burundaise pour le Bien-Etre Familial (ABUBEF).
From providing family planning alone, we have widened our scope and programming to cater for many other pressing sexual and reproductive health needs:
We offer focused, specialized services for:
- the rural population
- young people living with HIV/AIDS
- internally displaced persons
- women of child bearing age
- sex workers
- drug users
- street children
ABUBEF has also persisted in advocating for the
implementation of the Maputo Plan of Action by the Government of Burundi.
ABUBEF’s largest beneficiary group is poor people.
In 2006, we served 158,000 clients, of whom an estimated 150,000 were marginalized or socially excluded persons.
ABUBEF also provided 17,152 voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) services.
Making significant improvements in Burundi’s sexual and reproductive health records is
not an easy feat, especially when operating in a country where there are many challenges.
According to our 2004 study, of the women who had unsafe abortions, many of them in the backstreets of Burundi, 36.4 per cent had acquired infections, and 31.8 per cent experienced trauma and other major complications.
Further confounding the situation is the country’s total fertility rate: at 6.8, the maternal mortality rate: 1,000; and 66 per cent of those infected by HIV are women and children.
Service delivery points
6 branches and 8 clinics, 1 mobile outreach unit
Members of the governing body
16 (including 9 women)
Staff and volunteers
81 staff and 429 volunteers
Voluntary counselling and testing sites
7
Youth centres
1
Peer educators
75
Members of Youth Action Movement
56
Community-based distributors
1,176
Partnerships
Donors: UNFPA, FHI, CARE, CNLS.
Networks: Réseau National des Jeunes Engagés
pour la Lutte Contre le Sida (RENAJES), Association pour la Promotion de la Fille Burundaise (APFB)