Heha Happy School

Students at the school receive free education, have two nutritious meals a day, undergo regular medical check-ups, and take part in sports and creative clubs.

On September 16, 2024, Heha Happy School opened its doors to 104 children.
It is a primary school that follows the official Burundian educational program. The school has 7 classes.
Upon graduation, each student receives a certificate that allows them to continue their education.

Primary School in Burundi

Why We Work in Burundi

Life on the Landfill

Toxic conditions. Thousands of people live and work on a constantly burning landfill that emits toxic substances.
Surviving on waste. Adults and children search the landfill for clothes, food, and household items, sorting trash by hand and putting themselves in danger.

Poverty in Bujumbura

Economic situation. Bujumbura is one of the poorest cities in the world, where thousands of people work at the landfill.
Lack of infrastructure. The suburbs of the city lack basic living conditions and essential infrastructure.

Landfill Children

Lack of education. These children cannot read or write and have never been to school.
Medical care. Many of these children have never seen a doctor.
Social conditions. Many of them have never sat at a dining table and lack even the most basic conditions for a normal life.

Grand Opening of the School

1 Year of Heha Happy School

In just one year, it has become one of the best schools in the country. Currently, 104 students study here across 7 classes.
The average final assessment score across the school is 84%, and in one fourth-grade class it is 90%. The children speak French, English, Swahili, and Russian.

How to help?

Your donations will help us provide the school with everything it needs to continue its work and grow.

Our Students

Thierry

14 years old

The boy in the photo has a beautiful name — Thierry, and he is 14 years old. Thierry has been living in the “Back to Life” association for 5 years and is in 4th grade. His father died long ago, and his mother works at the landfill.
Jennifer

15 years old

Her story is similar to Thierry’s: her father has passed away, and her mother spends all her time at the landfill, working and searching for food.
Jennifer lives in the “Back to Life” association and is in 5th grade. She loves to dance and sing, speaks good English and French, and even knows some Russian.
Richard

13 years old

Richard is an orphan; his parents died several years ago. He loves sports, especially football.
As you can see in the photo, Richard is very cheerful and kind-hearted, and also very smart — he is the best student in his class.

Our Team

Sylvester Havyarimana

School Manager

An amazing person with incredible strength and inexhaustible energy. Sylvester is 39 years old, married, and raising three of his own children and one foster child. He grew up in a large family with two brothers and four sisters. He graduated from a master’s program in Russia in 2018.
Sylvester loves reading, plays sports (especially bodybuilding and football), and is interested in politics.
Arcade Bizindavyi

School Administrator

Arcade is 40 years old, has 4 years of teaching experience, is married, and has two daughters.
He holds a bachelor’s degree and dreams of continuing his education.
Arcade chose the teaching profession to share his knowledge with children and loves communicating with them to learn everything about them.
His hobbies are faith and sports.
Pascal Nichitegetse

Teacher

Pascal is 34 years old and has 12 years of teaching experience. He chose teaching to give children new knowledge.
In his free time, he loves talking to children about various topics. His hobbies are prayer, sports, and music. Pascal’s dream is to become a great teacher.
Violett Ndaiishimiye

Teacher

Violett is 30 years old and raising two children: an 8‑year‑old boy and a 6‑year‑old girl.
She chose teaching because she loves children, and this is what she enjoys most about her work.
The main challenge in teaching in Burundi is classroom discipline.
Her hobbies are prayer and music.
Consolat Nahimana

Teacher

Consolat is 72 years old, married, the mother of four children, and already a grandmother three times over. She has over 35 years of teaching experience.
She became a teacher because she loves children and dreams of continuing to teach as long as she can.
Her hobbies are sports and communicating with colleagues and children in difficult situations.
Emelin Nzeyimana

Teacher

Emelin is 34 years old, married, with three children.
She has 10 years of teaching experience and values and is proud of her students’ successes most of all.
One of her goals is to show that teachers in Burundi are top-class specialists who give children real knowledge.
Her hobbies are prayer and sports.
Jeremy Harelimana

Teacher

Jeremy is 38 years old, married, and raising one child.
He has 8 years of teaching experience.
He chose this profession to help his younger brothers and sisters in Burundi by teaching them.
His hobbies are politics and prayer.
Françoise Gaterantimba

Teacher

Françoise is 40 years old and raising two children.
She has over 5 years of teaching experience and is very devout. She became a teacher because she believes this profession is from God.
Her hobbies are music and prayer.
Françoise dreams of trying herself in trade
Furaha Florent

Teacher

Furaha is 48 years old and raising five children.
She has been a teacher for 24 years. She has no difficulties in her work: she loves teaching and sharing knowledge with children.
“I live my profession: I teach students and my own children,” says Furaha.
Her hobbies are reading books and learning new things.
Augustin Majambere

Physical Education Teacher

Augustin is 36 years old and has 4 years of teaching experience. He is married and has two children.
He chose teaching because he has a talent for quickly teaching others what he knows. The hardest part is bringing all children to the same level of understanding, but he loves seeing them learn quickly. His hobbies are prayer and sports, and his dream is to advance in his career.
Jacques Michel Biamungu

Music Teacher

Michel is 27 years old and has 3 years of teaching experience. He is married and has five children.
He chose teaching because he likes sharing knowledge.
The hardest part is that not all children remember things equally, but he loves hearing children sing well.
His hobbies are prayer and modern music.
His dream is to record many music albums.

Contacts

Address of school:
Bujumbura - Burundi commune: ntahangwa
Zone: Buterere. Quartier: mubone, 1st street 10

email: