We believe a warm meal can restore dignity.
About the Porridge Program
Because no child or elder should go hungry
In Burundi, manychildren go to school on emptystomachs, whileelderly men and womensitquietly at home withlittlestrengthleft. Poverty and malnutrition weighheavily on the youngest and the oldest, stealingawayenergy, smiles, and dignity. The Munyundo Foundation’s Porridge Program wasborn to change this reality, one warm cup at a time.
Five days a week, childrengatheraroundsteamingcups of porridge, richwith the nutrientstheyneed to grow and learn. Theirlaughterfills the air as they regain the energy to play, study, and dreamagain. Besidethem, elderlybeneficiarieswho once feltforgottennowfindcomfort and strength in the same porridge thatnourishestheirfrail bodies. “This is not justfooditis life returning to me,” one elderlywomansayswith gratitude.
The program goesbeyond the dailymeal. Families are encouraged to growsmall home gardens, learning simple ways to addvegetables and variety to theirdiets. Elderlybeneficiaries, manyunable to work due to age or illness, alsoreceivefood kits of rice and beans.
For them, these kits meanpeace of mind, knowingtheywill not face hungeralone.
Withevery portion of porridge and everyfood kit, hopeisrestored. Childrenrecovertheirsmiles, grandparents stand a little taller, and families break free step by stepfrom the cycle of malnutrition. Whatmayseemsmallacup of porridge, a bag of ricebecomes a symbol of love, dignity, and resilience.
By supporting the Porridge Program, yougive more than nutrition. You givehealth, strength, and hope to thosewhoneeditmost. Just $5 canprovide a week of porridge for a child, or a completefood kit of rice and beans for an elderlyperson. Every gift transforms a life. Together, wecannourish bodies and restore hope for Burundi’smostvulnerable.
Impact stories
A Mother’s Story of Hope
When the Munyundo Foundation first met me, I was on the street begging with my children, my twins and their older sister. My husband had abandoned us while I was five months pregnant, and I felt completely lost and hopeless. The children clung to me for survival, but I had no way to feed them.
Everything changed when the Foundation welcomed us into the Porridge Program. My children began receiving nutritious porridge, and little by little, they grew stronger and healthier. The team also taught me how to prepare food at home and how to feed them properly. Today, my children are healthy, and I have hope again.
“I am deeply grateful to the Munyundo Foundation. May God Himself reward you.”
An elderlybeneficiary
“Oh, just look how good I look! Do you know how I used to spend my days, struggling in the streets? Many times, I wandered the streets trying to find food for the children. I suffered a lot and was very weak. People would even call me a beggar.
But since I joined the Munyundo Foundation, where I get to enjoy porridge, things have changed. Instead of wasting my days on the streets, I now have the strength to work at home and take care of my children. Because of the food we receive every week, I can feed my children, and they never go hungry. I even find the energy to fetch water, work in the garden, and do house chores in good health.
I am very thankful to those who support us.”
“Not Forgotten”
There was a time I thoughtmyfamily and I had been forgotten. But the day the Munyundo Foundation came with porridge for mychildren, I feltseen. The kindness and encouragement gave me strength, not only for today but for the future.
“Strength in Old Age”
As an elderly widow, I could no longer farm or provide for myself. Hunger was my daily companion. Through the Porridge Program, I now receive a food kit of rice and beans. It may seem small, but for me it is life. I can sleep without fear of hunger, and I feel respected again.
From Tired to Cheerful: A mother’s testimony
“Before my child started taking the porridge, he always seemed tired and uninterested… After some time on the porridge, I noticed a change because now my child is more alert, cheerful, and he plays happily with the other children.”