2019 has been a rich year for our association which now counts 30 years of existence. 3 decades of working with the most vulnerable communities on the planet, those living on less than $1.90 a day. Our intervention has evolved, grown and taken different shapes over the years.
Fighting poverty for the past 30 years
In 1991, we also introduced a pioneering approach to poverty alleviation, the FXBVillage model, which simultaneously addresses its interdependent factors in a way that breaks the vicious cycle of poverty in a sustainable manner. Many organizations have since adopted this holistic approach. We are very proud of this model, whose effectiveness and impact have been widely proven.
Since 1989, we have been adapting constantly, showing flexibility, transparency and creativity because our association is organic and all our interventions are adjusted to the various social, cultural, economic and political dimensions of each country.
Nevertheless, 30 years of struggle will not have been enough to eradicate misery, suffering, insecurity and the major issues related to migration and climate change. Our resolve remains intact: we will continue to develop education, health and protection programs as well as our FXBVillage economic and community development programs, which have proven to be a tangible tool for poverty reduction.
But our greatest reward for this 30-year review is the considerable improvement in the living conditions of all children, women and men that we have accompanied along the path to a better and more dignified life.
Addressing the root causes of social inequalities
A path that, this year, has evidently been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic and its multiple repercussions, the exact extent of which remains difficult to grasp even today. While no one has been spared by this health, economic and social crisis, the world’s poorest and most marginalized populations, those for whom we have been working for the past 30 years, have been disproportionately affected and are its first victims.
Rather than being sacrificed on the altar of recovery or short-term imperatives, these men, women and children must, more than ever, be placed at the heart of ambitious development strategies and serve as a driving force to address the sources of the social injustices that this crisis has so blatantly – and cruelly – revealed.
On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, FXB International would like to thank its more than 400 employees who work relentlessly, every day, with the most vulnerable populations. Our resolve to address the multiple causes of poverty is only strengthened by the current climate of urgency.
The battle continues. And we will continue, thanks to your support, to be at the forefront of this fight.
