One of the nations in which we have been most involved over the years is Burundi!

Burundi lies in the heart of Africa - a beautiful country with a tragically broken history. This small nation suffered 12 years of ethnic conflict between 1993 and 2005, where over 300,000 people died. It is the third-most densely populated nation in Africa, and has the second-lowest GDP in the world. Over 65% live in poverty, with an average life expectancy of 61, and over half the population are chronically food insecure. Burundi was declared the world's unhappiest nation by the United Nations Happiness report in March 2018.

Donna Bloomfield, who was part of Gateway for many years, felt called by God to seek transformation in Burundi and the surrounding nations through the gospel and has given herself to that calling, living much of the time in Bujumbura, Burundi.

As a church, we have sought to partner with Donna and the team on the ground in Burundi through friendship, prayer, finance, and sending individuals to visit and get involved in the work. Murungwa, one of the team leaders in Burundi, also spent a year in Swindon working for Gateway.

City Gate Church Bujumbura has recently been planted and, alongside this, many initiatives to serve the poor have grown, including Foundations for Farming, milk and education for children, healthcare, housing projects, etc.

Gateway periodically takes special offerings for Burundi which you can give into - we'll update this page with the details when the next special offering is taken.

But the simplest way to give is through Hope for Tomorrow Global, the charity Donna set up to help finance the work in Burundi. A number of individuals at Gateway give monthly to Hope for Tomorrow Global and two serve as trustees of the charity!

Watch the video below, or head to their website, to find out more about Hope for Tomorrow Global.

Donna regularly posts updates, stories, and points for prayer on the Hope for Tomorrow Global Facebook page.

Give the page a like to stay up to date with the latest news and find out how you can be praying.

If you have any questions about our involvement in Burundi, how we support the work financially, or how you can get more involved, please let us know.