The Marist Brothers are deeply committed to living its Mission of making Jesus Christ known and Loved, particularly among the least favored in our world. Coordinated efforts to be in Solidarity with the poorest of our world and those on the margins are lived out in many dynamic ways in all 82 countries that are served by the Marist Brothers. On a Province wide level, the Marist Brothers support a wide range of Solidarity projects.
In the USA Province, every Marist school allocates a significant amount of funding to ensure that many worthy students that would be otherwise unable to avail of a Marist education due to financial hardships are able to do so through a substantial financial assistance program. Additionally, every Marist school offers all its students the opportunity to live our Catholic and Marist values in real concrete ways through various service projects such as volunteering at local homeless shelters, participating in numerous Mission Trips as well as many tutoring programs to students in need.
On a Province wide level, the Marist Brothers support a wide range of Solidarity projects, including the following:
Rwanda: This is Special project requested from our General Council.The renovation and expansion of the Marist Novitiate in Save, Rwanda. This facility currently serves two Marist Provinces across six countries and plays a vital role in the initial formation of our young Brothers. However, it is now facing urgent challenges - serious structural deterioration and critical overcrowding - due to the growing number of young men responding to the call to religious life.
India: Construction of a Primary School in Talit, India operated by the Marist Brothers for 300 students.
Thailand: The project ensures quality education for Burmese migrant children in Thailand, who face barriers to public schools due to documentation, language, and finances. The Marist Centre in Samphran supports these children, offering an inclusive, culturally sensitive environment.
Venezuela: We will continue to offer our annual support to this great need. The situation of teachers in Marist schools is increasingly precarious. Currently, the basic monthly salary is 130 bolivars (1,27 USD at today's exchange rate). This affects the basic rights of educational staff and their families, as well as the right to quality education for Venezuelan children and youth. This project aims to provide supplementary food to educational personnel (and their families) in 9 Marist schools.
Our Blue Marists in Syria: This project aims to provide essential food supplies to vulnerable households facing food insecurity. Each basket typically includes staple items such as rice, beans, oil, and other basic goods to support a family’s nutritional needs for a period of time. The initiative seeks to alleviate immediate hunger and improve the well-being of disadvantaged communities.
Haiti: Education in Haiti faces challenges like limited access to quality schooling, insufficient resources, and low literacy rates. Many families struggle economically, leaving children out of school due to lack of food. To address this, the Marist Brothers developed a nutrition program targeting Restavek children and students from low-income families, aiming to improve academic achievement by tackling food insecurity and malnutrition.
Chad: This project aims to provide scholarships to vulnerable children and young people in Chad, enabling them to access and complete their education in a safe and supportive environment. In a country where access to quality education remains a major challenge - particularly for girls, displaced children, and those from low-income families - this initiative seeks to break the cycle of poverty through education.
