Emmaus International has always been involved in fighting for rights and access to decent housing and it continues to pursue the fight led by Abbé Pierre by supporting a number of housing projects run by Emmaus groups around the world. Since 2015, Emmaus International has counted on the support of the Abbé Pierre Foundation to finance this housing programme. It allocates 10% of its annual funds to international projects (which, in turn, represents 10% of its entire budget). 

Every year, the Abbé Pierre Foundation and Emmaus International work together to identify projects to improve Emmaus organisations’ housing conditions in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. In practice, the projects are first submitted to the Emmaus International Board, which decides whether or not to forward them to the Foundation’s International Committee, which issues an advisory opinion. The final decision on funding is then made by the Abbé Pierre Foundation Bureau.  

Since this programme was launched, over thirty projects have benefitted from funding under this partnership. 

« With the best will in the world, our group is unable to run a project like this without the support of the movement. This project [to build a reception centre for disadvantaged girls and young women] will have a considerable impact on a number of levels for women and girls from the rural areas where we work. »

Suzanne Ware, Manager of the Pag la Yiri group (Burkina Faso)