Bujumbura : women leaders call for better protection of children until puberty

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, November 23, 2025- The 6th edition of the High Level Forum of Women Leaders was held in Bujumbura, the commercial capital of Burundi, and led to a national appeal to strengthen the protection, education and support of children, from childhood to puberty. A mobilization that intervenes in a context of growing concerns about the vulnerability of young people.

The First Lady of Burundi, Angeline Ndayishimiye Ndayubaha, urged families to recover children born or raised in prison, in order to avoid a future compromise.
“These children are innocent. They should not pay for acts they have not perpetrated,” she insisted.

She also denounced situations where parents exploit children living with disabilities by using them for begging. She called on Burundians and partners to support their schooling and inclusion :
“They have different gifts and can contribute enormously to their families and to the nation,” she emphasized.

Taking the floor, the President of the Republic, Évariste Ndayishimiye, said that the forum aimed to prepare the youth to assume positions of responsibility tomorrow, cultivating intelligence, good health and moral sense.
The age group targeted this year, 8 to 18 years, is according to him a decisive period in the harmonious construction of the child.

The Head of State called on parents, educators and local authorities to join their efforts to train young people to face the current challenges. He recommended the creation or reopening of youth centers, in order to offer them safe spaces to learn, exchange and build themselves, in a context marked by the risks related to drugs and sexual vagabondism.

He also encouraged investors to support initiatives in favor of children’s rights, recalling that these commitments are part of the vision of Burundi emerging in 2040 and developing in 2060.

The resident coordinator of the United Nations System in Burundi, Violet Kakyomya, assured that the UN “makes no effort” to accompany the country in its actions in favor of children. According to her, a child who grows up in a healthy environment learns better, develops better and becomes an essential engine of social cohesion.

The forum took place on November 20 and 21, 2025.