01 Jan 2009 | 2009 Marks FXB's 20th Anniversary

FXB Celebrates 20 Years Helping Children

FXB carries the name of François-Xavier Bagnoud, a helicopter pilot specialized in rescue operations, who dedicated his life to providing assistance to others. He lost his life at the age of 24 during a helicopter-borne mission in Mali. In 1989, his mother Albina du Boisrouvray, his family, and their friends founded FXB in order to pursue, in the field of development, the values of generosity and compassion that guided his life.

Initially, Albina and FXB focused on providing a caring, home-like environment to children infected and/or orphaned by AIDS. To improve these children’s living conditions, FXB opened several FXB Houses in Thailand, Washington DC, and Latin America.  The FXB Houses function on the premise that children will have a better and longer life if they grow up in a family environment. With access to anti-retroviral therapy, the FXB Houses have evolved into community and day-care centers, offering comprehensive home-based care and treatment.

At the same time, FXB also developed FXB-Villages, a participatory socio-economic development program designed to integrate orphaned and vulnerable children into families and reinforce their capacities.  The FXB-Village program provides families with a comprehensive package of support and training to help them achieve improved health, as well as socio-economic independence.  Since 2000, FXB has launched 63 FXB-Villages in Burundi, India, Rwanda, Thailand, and Uganda, with plans to expand the program to South Africa, DR Congo, Colombia, and Myanmar. External evaluations of the FXB-Villages found that 86% of families live above the poverty line after the program’s end.

After 20 years, the future looks bright for FXB and the children and families we serve. With 460 dedicated employees across the world, FXB has continued to rise to the challenges that poverty and AIDS have presented.