Today is Universal Children’s Day and we’re thankful and constantly inspired by our partners who work every day with street children, providing them with food to eat, access to education, and a safe space for them to be children.

Here’s an update about the work our partner, New Generation, has been doing in Burundi:

The last couple of months have been an exciting time for us. Since the Street Child World Cup, we’ve gained new supporters and have been able to expand some of our programmes.

We currently look after around 40 street children, who either do not have a home to go to, or are sent to the streets to beg during the day. Our centre offers a safe space for them during the day where they can receive breakfast and lunch. We also provide school uniforms and equipment for the children to attend the local school.

Our staff here work with the teachers to evaluate how the children are getting on at school, so that they are able to track their progress and help them where needed. They also conduct home visits (where the children still live with a member of their family), to access the children’s situations and find out how they can best help them.

As for our football team that participated in the Street Child World Cup, they have been putting their new-found fame to good use!

Last month, they played a match against an Albino team, in partnership with UNESCO, to raise awareness for the protection of the rights of orphans and albinos. The score was 1-1, and it was great to see the sportsmanship between the two teams. Local media attended to cover the event.

They have also been a key part of our national campaign “Burundi, UrwarukaTurashoboye”, meaning, “Burundi, Young People We Can”. The aim of the campaign is to mobilize young people around socio-economic issues in Burundi and to empower them to be a positive influence in their communities; the football team is a great example of this as a group of young men who have overcome many challenges to get to where they are today. They are now sharing their experience and encouraging others.

Find out more about what New Generation is up on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.