FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  

Development  organization  works  toward  peace  amidst  Burundi’s  violence  Plant  With  Purpose  continues  development  program  despite  uncertainty    

SAN  DIEGO—May  14,  2015—When  the  Christian  development  organization  Plant  With  Purpose  was  exploring  new  country  partnerships  eight  years  ago,  Burundi  quickly  rose  to  the  top  of  the  list  based  on  need.  Burundi  is  the  hungriest  country  in  the  world,  with  58  percent  of  the  population  suffering  from  chronic  

malnutrition.  This  malnutrition  rate  is  the  direct  result  of  extreme  environmental  degradation,  lack  of  access  to  land,  and  devastation  resulting  from  more  than  30  years  of  civil  war.  This  war  left  over  300,000  dead  and  tens  of  thousands  displaced  within  Burundi  and  in  refugee  camps  in  Tanzania,  Rwanda,  and  Uganda.    

Presidential  elections  scheduled  for  June  26  have  unleashed  recent  political  violence  and  badly  rocked  hopes  

for  a  peaceful  election.  Nation-­‐wide  conflict  threatens  to  return.  The  unrest  also  threatens  the  progress  of  Plant  With  Purpose’s  program.  Plant  With  Purpose  Burundi  reaches  more  than  100,000  adults  and  children  in  five  provinces  and  equips  small-­‐scale  farming  families  to  improve  crop  production,  increase  income,  and  lift  

themselves  out  of  poverty.  The  program  integrates  reforestation  efforts  to  restore  productivity  to  degraded  land,  in  turn  increasing  agriculture  productivity.  In  the  first  quarter  of  2015,  Plant  With  Purpose  Burundi  

planted  nearly  450,000  trees.  With  current  tensions,  staff  members  are  experiencing  great  difficulty  traveling  to  the  office  and  even  greater  difficulty  accessing  rural  communities  where  participating  farmers  live.        

Plant  With  Purpose’s  program  chiefly  focuses  on  increasing  food  security  and  alleviating  poverty,  but  a  key  aspect  in  Burundi  involves  reconciliation  and  peace  building.  Plant  With  Purpose’s  former  Country  Director  

Lazare  Sebitereko  explains,  “The  most  effective  reconciliation  happens  when  farmers  work  ‘shoulder  to  shoulder’  for  the  good  of  the  whole  community,  rather  than  just  sitting  together  to  work  through  their  problems  ‘face  to  face’.”  When  farmers  work  together  across  ethnic  divisions,  they  build  trust  and  leave  old  

hatreds  behind.    

Executive  Director  Scott  Sabin  reflects  on  the  advancements  that  Plant  With  Purpose  Burundi  has  seen  in  recent  years.  "We  are  so  excited  by  the  progress  that  partnering  farmers  are  making  and  the  reconciliation  that  is  taking  place  as  a  result  of  farmer  associations.  It  is  miraculous  to  see  what  they  have  accomplished.  

We  also  know  these  accomplishments  are  very  fragile.  We  pray  that  these  tiny  shoots  of  hope  will  not  be  destroyed.”  

Partnering  with  local  churches  is  an  important  element  of  Plant  With  Purpose’s  reconciliation  strategy.  Church  leaders  struggled  to  survive  during  the  years  of  civil  war  but  over  time  have  emerged  as  powerful  

influencers  for  peace  in  their  communities.  It  is  hoped  that  these  leaders  will  become  forces  of  peace  in  the  midst  of  this  conflict.  It  is  uncertain  what  will  happen  next  in  Burundi  but  Sabin  is  adamant  that  Plant  With  Purpose  will  continue  in  their  efforts.  "Our  presence  in  Burundi  is  for  the  long-­‐term.  Our  staff  will  work  

diligently  during  any  recovery.  Please  join  us  in  not  giving  up  on  Burundi."  

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About  Plant  With  Purpose  

Plant  With  Purpose  (plantwithpurpose.org)  is  an  international  development  organization  that  transforms  lives  in  rural  areas  where  poverty  is  caused  by  deforestation.  For  more  than  30  years,  Plant  With  Purpose  has  

provided  lasting  solutions  to  rural  poverty  through  a  community  development  approach  that  integrates  reforestation,  sustainable  agriculture  programs,  economic  opportunity  through  microfinance,  and  local  leadership  development.  Plant  With  Purpose  currently  works  in  more  than  400  communities  in  six  countries:  

Burundi,  the  Dominican  Republic,  Haiti,  Mexico,  Tanzania,  and  Thailand.  The  organization  has  planted  over  14  million  trees  worldwide.  

For  interviews,  inquiries,  or  additional  information  on  Plant  With  Purpose,  including  videos  or  photos,  please  contact  Becky  Rosaler.  

Contact:  Becky  Rosaler              

Marketing  and  Events    800.633.5319  Office              760.650.2819  Cell          

becky@plantwithpurpose.org  plantwithpurpose.org