Aunts and Fathers Programme Burundi

  • P Project/Program

A Active

Key Information

In an effort to stem a wave of pregnancy-related dropouts among female pupils, Burundi’s education leaders introduced a programme of sex education patterned on the Burundian tradition of fathers explaining sex to their teenaged sons and paternal aunts to teenaged girls. Using trusted teachers and other school employees for individual counseling in place of real fathers and aunts, Burundi’s primary and secondary schools started the “ Aunts and Fathers” programme in 2017. Now,  three years later, the programme is showing positive early results, with a considerable decline in the percentage of girls dropping out specifically due to pregnancy. According to Ministry of Education figures, in 2015-2016 - the school year before the start of the “Aunts and Fathers” programme – pregnancies accounted for 33% of female dropouts in Burundi (2,208 pregnancies out of 6,661 female dropouts). For the following three academic years, however, the percentages of dropouts due specifically to pregnancy were 1.5% in 2016-2017; 1.8% in 2017-2018; and 2% in 2018-2019. (The data for 2018-2019 is provisional, according to the ministry.) In other words, the percentage girls leaving school specifically because of pregnancy decreased considerably – and consistently – in the three years following introduction of the “Aunts and Fathers” programme.


Lead Implementing Government(s)

Burundi

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Burundi

Government Affiliation

Government-affiliated program

Years

2017 -

Partner(s)

Not applicable or unknown

Ministry Affiliation

Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research

Funder(s)

Not applicable or unknown

COVID-19 Response

Not changed

Geographic Scope

National

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment

  • Primary completion
  • Secondary completion

Other skills

  • Life skills/sexuality education
  • Rights/empowerment education

Quality

  • Teacher training

Cross-cutting areas

  • Adolescent pregnancy/childbearing
  • Gender equality
  • Other aspects of sexual and reproductive health
  • Other cultural practices
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Boys in school, Girls in school, Youth

Age

Not applicable or unknown

School Enrolment Status

All in school

School Level

  • Upper primary
  • Lower secondary
  • Upper secondary

Other populations reached

  • Teachers - female
  • Teachers - male
  • Youth

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Health and childcare services

  • Adolescent-friendly health services

Life skills education

  • Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE)
  • Gender, rights and power

Mentoring/psychosocial support

  • Teachers as mentors

Teaching

  • In-service teacher training – gender-responsive pedagogy

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Improved social and emotional learning/skills and mindsets
  • Increased grade attainment
  • Reduced absenteeism
  • Teachers and learners have the knowledge and skills to promote gender equality

Cross-cutting goals

  • Improved critical consciousness
  • Improved sexual and reproductive health
  • Increased knowledge of HIV, puberty, and sexual and reproductive health
  • More equal power in relationships
  • Reduced adolescent pregnancy/childbearing