IFAD has been working with rural poor populations in Burundi for more than two decades. During the country's 10-year civil war, IFAD was one of the few international financial institutions to keep its operations going.

Since the late 1990s, IFAD projects have helped to establish nearly 1000 Community Development Committees in four provinces. Each of these committees, which are made up of locally elected members, is responsible for identifying their community's development needs and priorities. Support for such grass roots institutions is essential in building solidarity, preventing the spread of future conflicts and developing a pluralistic system of governance.