Combating extreme poverty

The FXB village Kanyosha project successfully strengthened the resilience of 99 extremely poor families, i.e. 745 adults and children,sustainably lifting them out of multidimensional poverty. During the project, economic strengthening took place at two levels, firstly through the structuring of village savings and credit associations (VSLAs) and secondly through the implementation of income-generating activities (IGAs). By the end of the project, four VSLAs had been set up and every family had at least one IGA, with 74% having more than one, mainly in the sale of food products. Beneficiaries were given practical and theoretical knowledge of nutrition, particularly child nutrition. At the end of the project, 70% of families were able to declare that they ate three meals a day, and the remaining 30% ate two meals a day. No child was suffering from malnutrition. Thanks to the project, families now have access to the Tuvuzanye health insurance scheme and are increasingly going to health facilities for treatment rather than self-medicating. The psychosocial support provided to beneficiaries has enabled them to restore social cohesion, reduce family conflicts, boost self-esteem and reduce the risk of isolation and social exclusion.

The Swiss association François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB-International) was founded in 1989. Its mission is to fight poverty and AIDS by helping orphans and vulnerable children affected HIV/AIDS, and by strengthening the social and economic capacities of their families and communities. FXB International is active in Burundi, China, Colombia, India, Mongolia, Uganda, DRC, Rwanda, and Thailand.

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