A Phone Can Save a Life
For many people, a mobile phone is simply a tool for communication. For an older person living alone in a remote village, however, a mobile phone can be the difference between life and death.
Burundi Elderly Home Care (BEHC) believes that access to communication is a fundamental component of dignity, safety, healthcare, and social inclusion. Every day, our outreach teams encounter older persons who are unable to call for help during medical emergencies, contact family members, seek healthcare advice, or report abuse because they do not own a mobile phone.
To address this challenge, BEHC has launched the “100 Mobile Phones per Commune Initiative,” a nationwide campaign to equip vulnerable older persons with basic mobile telephones. The initiative aims to distribute at least 100 phones in each of Burundi’s 42 communes, reaching a minimum of 4,200 vulnerable older persons across the country.
This is more than a technology project—it is an investment in human dignity, protection, emergency preparedness, and healthy aging.
The Reality Facing Older Persons in Burundi
Burundi remains one of the world’s lowest-income countries, with many households relying on subsistence agriculture and informal employment. Older persons are among those most affected by poverty because many have no pension, limited income, and restricted access to social protection.
As people age, they often experience declining mobility, chronic illnesses, reduced independence, and increased dependence on others for daily needs. Many older people also live alone after the loss of a spouse or because younger family members have migrated in search of employment.
In these circumstances, something as simple as owning a mobile phone becomes essential.
Communication Is Healthcare
When an older person experiences chest pain, a stroke, severe illness, or a fall, immediate communication can mean the difference between early treatment and a medical emergency becoming fatal.
Without a phone, many older persons must wait for neighbors or relatives to notice their condition. In isolated communities, this delay can last hours or even days.
A basic mobile phone allows an elderly person to:
- Call family members during emergencies.
- Contact BEHC outreach teams.
- Request transportation to health facilities.
- Receive healthcare information.
- Stay connected with caregivers.
- Communicate with local authorities.
- Access emergency support when needed.
Communication saves lives.
Reducing Social Isolation
Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a serious public health concern among older persons worldwide.
Many elderly people experience:
- Loss of spouses.
- Children living far away.
- Reduced mobility.
- Limited participation in community activities.
- Emotional distress caused by isolation.
A mobile phone helps restore social connections by allowing older persons to remain in regular contact with children, grandchildren, friends, neighbors, and community volunteers.
A simple phone call can improve emotional well-being, reduce anxiety, and provide reassurance that someone cares.
Supporting Emergency Response
Burundi is vulnerable to floods, landslides, disease outbreaks, and other emergencies that disproportionately affect older persons.
In emergency situations, rapid communication is essential.
Providing mobile phones enables elderly people to:
- Report emergencies quickly.
- Request rescue assistance.
- Receive emergency instructions.
- Inform relatives about their safety.
- Connect with humanitarian responders.
The initiative strengthens community resilience and disaster preparedness by ensuring that vulnerable older persons are not left without a means of communication.
Promoting Healthy Aging
The World Health Organization emphasizes that healthy aging depends not only on healthcare but also on maintaining functional ability, social participation, and access to supportive environments.
Mobile phones contribute to healthy aging by enabling older persons to:
- Receive appointment reminders.
- Stay connected with healthcare providers.
- Obtain medication information.
- Participate in community support networks.
- Access educational and awareness messages.
Technology, when made accessible, becomes a tool for independence and well-being.
Strengthening Family Relationships
Many Burundian families live apart due to employment, education, or migration.
Parents and grandparents often spend months without hearing from their children simply because they lack a phone.
Providing mobile phones enables families to remain connected despite distance.
This strengthens emotional support, encourages intergenerational relationships, and reinforces traditional family values.
Preventing Abuse and Neglect
Older persons are vulnerable to neglect, exploitation, and abuse.
Without communication, many incidents go unreported.
Owning a phone allows vulnerable older persons to:
- Report abuse.
- Seek legal assistance.
- Contact community leaders.
- Request help from BEHC.
- Reach emergency services.
Communication increases protection and accountability.
The BEHC Vision
BEHC aims to create the first nationwide communication support network dedicated to vulnerable older persons.
The 100 Mobile Phones per Commune Initiative will initially provide:
- 100 basic mobile phones in each of Burundi’s 42 communes.
- A total distribution target of 4,200 phones.
- Priority to older persons living alone, those with disabilities, low-income households, and individuals with chronic illnesses.
Each beneficiary will receive:
- A durable basic mobile phone.
- A SIM card where appropriate.
- Basic user training.
- Contact numbers for BEHC, local health facilities, and emergency services.
Why Donors Should Support This Initiative
This project offers exceptional value for impact.
Compared to many humanitarian interventions, a basic mobile phone is relatively inexpensive yet delivers long-lasting benefits in healthcare access, emergency response, social inclusion, and protection.
Every donated phone represents:
- A lifeline during emergencies.
- A bridge to family and caregivers.
- A tool for healthcare access.
- A safeguard against isolation.
- A symbol of dignity and inclusion.
Few investments provide such broad and lasting benefits at such a modest cost.
Partnership Opportunities
BEHC welcomes collaboration with:
- Mobile network operators.
- Telecommunications companies.
- Smartphone and mobile phone manufacturers.
- Corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.
- International development agencies.
- Foundations and philanthropic organizations.
- Universities and research institutions.
- Faith-based organizations.
- Embassies.
- Rotary and Lions Clubs.
- Individual donors.
Partners may contribute through:
- Financial support.
- Donation of mobile phones.
- SIM cards and connectivity packages.
- Digital literacy training.
- Technical expertise.
- Logistics and distribution support.
Our Long-Term Goal
This initiative is part of BEHC’s broader vision of creating age-friendly communities where every older person has access to healthcare, emergency assistance, communication, and social support.
Combined with our plans to establish a dedicated ambulance service, expand community outreach, and develop home-based care programs, the mobile phone initiative will strengthen the safety and independence of older persons throughout Burundi.
A Call to Action
Every older person deserves the opportunity to call for help, speak with family, and remain connected to the world around them.
No elder should face illness, loneliness, or danger simply because they lack a basic means of communication.
By supporting the 100 Mobile Phones per Commune Initiative, you will help build a safer, healthier, and more inclusive Burundi for older persons.
Together, we can ensure that every phone becomes a lifeline, every call brings hope, and every older person knows they are not forgotten.
Support the “100 Mobile Phones per Commune Initiative”
Project Goal: Provide 4,200 basic mobile phones to vulnerable older persons across Burundi’s 42 communes.
Organized by: Burundi Elderly Home Care (BEHC)
Registration No.: 530/1030
Email: founder@burundielderlyhomecare.org
Alternative Email: behc2025@gmail.com
Telephone: +257 67 55 55 50 / +257 76 18 90 41
Website: https://burundielderlyhomecare.org