Children of Burundi

Children of Burundi Biography

The production and consumption of food is an important subject in rural areas of Burundi. Students at the Gitega Athenee School, a rural high school that teaches emphasis on better agricultural methods, home economics, nutrition, child care, etc., were assigned the topic "Nutrition in Burundi" by the school nutritionist. The secondary school students, ranging in age from 12 to 17, had been studying in a drawing workshop but were given no special instructions as to how to carry out this assignment; they were free to make up their own drawings, work out the composition, and decide on colors.

The school in Gitega was one of several in Burundi that received assistance from UNICEF in the form of school supplies, including gouache and acrylic paints for this project. UNICEF also cooperated with the World Health Organization in providing visiting specialist teachers, such as the art teacher and nutritionist, and basic science equipment.

Since receiving these artworks in 1972, the U.S. Committee for UNICEF has used them in traveling exhibits, which circulate throughout the country, and in the UNICEF wall calendar, published and sold by the U.S. Committee for UNICEF to benefit the world's children.