Article Outline
About two-thirds of the population is Christian, chiefly Roman Catholic, and 32 percent adhere to traditional beliefs, which are based on belief in a spirit world and a single abstract god, Imana. About 1 percent are Muslims.
Primary education is free and officially compulsory for children aged 7 through 13, although in 2006 only 75 percent of primary school-age children were in school. Secondary school enrollment was even lower, with 11 percent of secondary school-age children attending school. The literacy rate for Burundi is 54 percent of the population. Attendance and literacy rates are very low due to national instability and shortages of teachers and school supplies. The University of Burundi (founded in 1960) in Bujumbura is the leading institution of higher education.
Most Burundians live in self-contained compounds of small round grass huts scattered over the country’s many hills. The rugo, the traditional Tutsi hut, is divided into sections and surrounded by an enclosure and cattle corrals. Families farm scattered plots of land on different soils at different altitudes to minimize crop failure. The floors of valleys are avoided due to higher temperatures and tsetse fly infestation. Social roles are largely determined by ethnicity, with the Tutsi as herders, the Hutu as peasant farmers, and the Twa as hunter-gatherers. Family life is central in all groups. Traditionally, the principal goal in life has been parenthood. Women traditionally dress in brightly colored wraps, and men in white. However, many have adopted Western clothes. The Burundian diet consists mainly of sweet potatoes and beans, with bananas, cassava, corn, peas, millet, and fruits added in season. Cattle are herded as signs of wealth and status rather than for their value as food. Meat is consumed by most Burundians only about once or twice a month. Fish is eaten more frequently. Gourds are grown for use as containers. Beer and milk are common beverages. Pastimes include soccer, poetry recitation, storytelling, and mancala, a board game common throughout Africa.
Hutu-Tutsi ethnic rivalry has been the dominant feature of Burundian society since independence. This severe and often violent problem is compounded by poverty, high unemployment, overcrowding, environmental stress, and the high incidence of AIDS. Crime is high in and around Bujumbura.
The richness of Burundian culture is apparent in a strong literary and musical tradition and a wide range of fine crafts. Little government funding for cultural activities is available. However, an art school at Gitega and an artisans’ center at Giheta have done much to encourage artistic expression and preservation. The major libraries are at the University of Burundi, the American Cultural Center, and the French Cultural Center in Bujumbura and the Burundi Literature Center in Gitega. The most important museums are Bujumbura’s Living Museum (founded in 1977) and the National Museum (founded in 1955) in Gitega.
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