PRAY FOR BURUNDI

One of the smallest countries in Africa, Burundi is landlocked and has an equatorial climate. It’s a resource-poor country with about 80% of the population relying on subsistence agriculture. It is ranked as the second poorest country in the world. The country claimed independence from Belgium in 1962. It has been scarred by a civil war between the Hutu and Tutsi people groups lasting from 1993 to 2005 in which an estimated 250,000 people died.  Since the 2005 post-war elections, the country's dominant party (the CNDD–FDD) has been widely accused of authoritarian governance and perpetuating the country's poor human rights record. Burundi remains primarily a rural society, with just 13.4% of the population living in urban areas in 2019. However, Burundi is densely populated, and many young people emigrate in search of opportunities elsewhere.

The Christian faith does not have deep roots in Burundi. Having been evangelised about 125 years ago, the society has not yet deeply embraced the Christian faith and still relies on customs and traditions derived from indigenous religions. Because of the history of civil war in Burundi, there is a climate of distrust everywhere, even among friends and families. (From ACN International.)
 
RiverLakes Church has partnered with International Christian Ministries (ICM) in Africa for over three decades. Burundi is the newest country to host an ICM ministry. In Burundi ICM organizes various types of church leadership training and events across the country.