The school is in Burundi, one of the three poorest countries in the world. In September 2024, 104 children took their places at their desks. Only that summer, many of them had been scavenging for food on the rubbish dump. Now they are getting an education, eating twice a day and having regular medical check-ups. The school has given these children a present, and a chance at a future.
The Heha school in Burundi opened its doors to pupils on 16 September. For 104 children aged 4 to 17, a new life began that day. Only that summer they had been walking barefoot across the dump, looking for anything to eat. Now they get two proper meals a day. Many of them admit they eat only at school: at home there is nothing.
A school, of course, is not only about food. It is about education, and here that is taken seriously. The school is licensed and follows the state curriculum, and its teachers regularly confirm their qualifications. The children have lessons every day, and on Saturdays an optional Russian class — which nobody skips.
Classes at Heha have 30 children, against 100 in an ordinary Burundian school, so teachers have time for every child.
The official opening ceremony took place on 25 October. For all the scale of the occasion, it felt warm and intimate: a wonderful school celebration with the children in smart blue-and-white uniforms and guests of honour — Valery Mikhailov, Russian Ambassador to the Republic of Burundi, Russian diplomats, donors, and officials from the local Ministry of Education. The opening of Heha was an event of national significance in Burundi.
The school was opened out of care for the children of Burundi, and out of care for the future — because children are the future.