Fondacio in South America

Fondacio in South America

It was in 1977, first in Rome and then in France, that the first meetings took place between Domingo Santa Maria, a Chilean businessman involved in the Charismatic Renewal, and the Fondacio community recently founded in Poitiers, which is spreading to other cities.

Fondacio was born in 1974 in France, under the name of Communauté de Poitiers (see our history)

In the spirit of the Second Vatican Council and as part of the "new communities" that emerged from the Charismatic Renewal, its raison d'être is the formation and evangelization of the younger generations.

It was in 1977, first in Rome and then in France, that the first meetings took place between Domingo Santa Maria, a Chilean businessman involved in the Charismatic Renewal, and the Fondacio community recently founded in Poitiers, which is spreading to other cities.

In July 1980, in Santiago de Chile, a first weekend of evangelization was led by Fondacio for about forty people in July 1980.

One year later, Fondacio was born there with 31 young Chilean adults and a strong dynamic of witness.

In the years that followed, Fondacio brought together people from different social backgrounds and welcomed the vocation to be a meeting place.

Fondacio constructed a bridge between people from the slums, the "pobladores"  and people from rich neighborhoods, in responsibility in the economic or political world.

The LOS ALMENDROS Centre in Santiago de Chile

Between the years 88 and 90, after a process of spiritual discernment, a plot of land was purchased in the municipality of Conchalí (now Huechuraba).

The goal was to create a center at the service of the mission of the Church and society, to offer a "bridge" space for encounter, unity and communion between different and distant socio-economic realities, but also for community activities and evangelization.

This centre, Los Almendros, has mobilized many resources and energies to gradually become the incubation and support platform for many projects with a strong social and environmental component.

More information about Fondacio in Chile

Fondacio's activities in Colombia

In 1997, a few Colombian couples has been formed in Chile and has made the seed of Fondacio's presence in Colombia in Bogota. One of the flagship activities since 2011 is OASIS, a Development and Solidarity Project co-created in 2011 by Fondacio Colombia and the Colegio Emilio Valenzuela Foundation.

Oasis is located in a slum located on the heights of Bogota, in the territory of San Luis (18,000 inhabitants). This slum, currently in the process of being legalized, dates back to the 1960s, when the Colombian civil war led many rural populations to flee to major urban centers. The inhabitants of San Luis are among the 25% of Bogotanese who live in illegalized neighborhoods, resulting in a lack of investment in all structures: education, health, roads, property, etc.

In this context, Oasis seeks to be both a place at the service of the inhabitants of the district (in the fields of environment, education, and housing) but also a real bridge between local realities and those of volunteers who take care of an important part of the activities of Oasis. Since the beginning of 2019, the Oasis experience has been spreading to another district of Bogota heavily affected by immigration, CIUDAD BOLIVAR.

More information about Fondacio in Colombia

A training focused on the person

More info

IFF South America

The latest Institute of Formation Fondacio was created for the South American continent in 2014. IFF America is in partnership with the Javierana University of Bogota and the Alberto Hurtado University of Santiago de Chile.

Co-founded with two NGOs with strong roots throughout the subcontinent, America Solidaria and Cristo Vive, IFF America has already welcomed students from about ten Latin American countries. 

For more information on activities in these countries, please refer to the corresponding pages. 

More information about IFF America