Englisch

FAMUNDI stands for „FAMilias UNidas en Dios“, in English, „Families United in God“.

The association founded in Gmunden, Upper Austria, called “FAMUNDI – so that families can live in dignity in Bolivia” has initiated a private Christian social project for families with many children in emergency situations located in the outskirts of Santa Cruz in Bolivia.

It is the aim of the project to help the poorest families with mostly single mothers respectively fathers to offer their children a dignified upbringing in their families. This is done with social benefits, material aid especially in education (School material, school fees, transportation costs, after school care club…) and joint activities based on Christian faith.

Each family has to pass through a system with three phases in order to achieve “help to self-help”.

Presently 30 families with about 180 children and teenagers are being helped.

This initiative was brought to life by Anna- Maria Marschner, Ma. (*1981 in Gmunden). In autumn 2000 she went through a voluntary service in the Children’s Village of Father Alfred Spießberger. Here she started her engagement for some of the poorest families in the outskirts of Santa Cruz. With a tremendous amount of love and charitable donations from her home-country she was able to open entirely new perspectives for the future of the families: she organized birth certificates, medical care and education. In September 2002 the House of Blessing was bought. Soon a tailoring was built and an after school care club offering meals was opened. More and more families longing for appreciation and love were taken into the project.

Since the year 2000 about 80 families have been supported by FAMUNDI.