About Us - Friends Women Association Burundi

Our Story

Friends Women’s Association (FWA) was initiated by women from the Evangelical Friends Church of Burundi in 2002

FWA has been committed to improving the lives of women in conflict and post-conflict environments

Approved by Ministerial Order No. 530/433 in 2003

FWA has 60 members with a 5 member executive committee, and a team of 20 dedicated professionals

Their varied skills and experience enable them to implement innovative initiatives, provide quality healthcare and essential psychological support. With its holistic approach, we fight against HIV AIDS, food insecurity, gender-based violence and trauma

2002

Year Founded

Our Guiding Philosophy

"UMUKOBWA NTASEKA UWUNDI ARASERUKA"

This Kirundi proverb embodies our core belief:

Rather than ignoring a young woman's misfortune, let's support her in her difficult times; tomorrow, you, too, may need it.

Community First

This philosophy guides every program, every partnership, and every life we touch at FWA.

Kirundi wisdom passed through generations

Our Vision

A Burundi where there is peace, health and equality, where women have the autonomy and independence to develop their capacities and reach their full potential.

Strategic Goals

Promote and educate on sexual and reproductive health, peace, and gender equality;
Improve the physical and mental health of vulnerable women and their families
Contribute to the socio-economic empowerment of vulnerable women
Provide psychosocial support to women to strengthen a culture of peace and social solidarity
Develop FWA's organizational capacity and ensure the sustainability of its work

Our Mission

FWA’s mission is to provide a comprehensive, community-based health care to women and their families, to promote women’s leadership and autonomy, and to strengthen peace and social solidarity in Kamenge and other communities in Burundi.

Core Approaches

Community-based participatory methodologies
Strategic partnerships with local and international organizations

Our Core Values

These values guide every aspect of our work and define who we are as an organization.

Health and Well-being

Good health is very key in everything we do. Indeed, FWA focuses on women's health, both physical and mental. This is why we always begin with trauma healing workshops and offer medical care (to those who need it) wherever we are.

Equality

The FWA organization believes that every human being must be respected, given that we are all created in the image of God. We believe that no one is better than another because of their identity (ethnic, religious, political) or gender. In all our interventions, all our beneficiaries, including men and women from different ethnic groups, are treated equally.

Non-violence

As an organization working for peace, FWA ensures that there is no violence in our actions or words. We ensure that we live in peace, whether within the staff, between the staff and the executive committee, between the staff and our beneficiaries, or among our beneficiaries themselves.