A man and woman holding their young child

Will you support parents to protect their families from malnutrition?

Name: Ripple Effect
Price range: $

Raised: $0 Target: $130000

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For one week only this Christmas, your donation will be doubled by a group of generous supporters and our Big Give Champion, the Reed Foundation. From 12pm 2 December to 12pm 9 December, every gift you make will go twice as far for families facing hunger in Burundi.

In Burundi, one in two children under five are stunted, meaning they are not growing as they should because they don’t get enough nutritious food. The country has one of the highest rates of stunting in the world. For parents like Nahimana and Jean-Paul, this meant watching their own children face the same struggle. Droughts starved their soil, heavy rain and hail destroyed their crops.

With Ripple Effect, that’s beginning to change. Families are growing more food and eating more nutritious diets that support their children’s health.

“The local food wasn’t enough, it wasn’t nutritious. We’d only eat sweet potatoes without any other vegetables as we couldn’t afford them. We only ate in the evenings. My children always complained that they didn’t get enough food.”

- Nahimana, Ripple Effect project participant, Burundi

With your support this Christmas, families like Nahimana and Jean-Paul’s can start to rebuild food security. Your donation can help parents grow enough to eat, earn more income, and keep their children healthy through better nutrition.

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We know our approach works: in another Burundi project, 98% of children recovered from malnutrition. That’s the power of your gift.

Here’s how your donation could help parents like Nahimana and Jean-Paul feed their children:

Training in climate-smart farming techniques With your support, farming families will learn climate-smart agriculture practices - simple, practical techniques like composting, mulching, and inter-cropping that help the soil retain water and nutrients. These sustainable farming practices protect crops against drought and erosion, reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers, and lead to stronger harvests and fuller plates for their children.

Seeds held by a farmer of ripple effect project

Drought-resistant seeds for diverse, nutritious crops Your donation provides parents with drought-resistant seeds for fruits and vegetables that grow throughout the year, even as the climate changes. Families gain a more stable source of nutritious food, ensuring children grow up healthy and strong. Each harvest also produces more seeds to share with neighbors, creating a ripple of resilience across whole communities.

Kitchen gardens close to home Families are supported to set up kitchen gardens close to home, making it easier to harvest fresh, nutritious food each day. This helps children stay healthy and gives parents more stability and support. As their gardens begin to thrive, families share seeds and simple techniques with neighbors, passing on the progress so others can grow nutritious food at home too.

Thank you for supporting families to put nutritious food on their children's plates this Christmas.

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Got questions about how the Big Give works? Read our Big Give FAQs.

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Stay up to date with the stories of families like Nahimana’s and see how your generosity is helping parents grow food, earn income, and build brighter futures. Sign up to our emails to see your kindness in action all year round.

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