Cartamundi - Cartamundi announces results project call CGF 2023

“Together with the @King Baudouin Foundation, we want to support initiatives that strengthen the (mental) health of children and adolescents, their education and sociability”, says Ana Carolina Gonçalves, EVP of Cartamundi Latin America. “And that’s exactly what these projects do.”

“We’re excited about helping these organizations on their journeys,” adds Bruno Vanobbergen, CEO of the Flemish Agency for Growing Up (Vlaams Agentschap Opgroeien) and independent chairman to the Cartamundi Global Fund. “We hope to meet them in a long-term relationship. And we look forward to contributing to the future of young people around the world.”

Determined to be at the heart of the communities Cartamundi operates in, the projects we support are based in seven countries, on four continents:

• BeCentral Belgium

40%* of the Belgian population are in a vulnerable situation in the face of the rising digitalisation of society. As digitalisation accelerates and enters every aspect of our lives, those who lack access to technology are finding themselves socially and professionally disadvantaged.
The BeCentral Foundation seeks to bridge the digital gap and to develop a more inclusive society. Their mission is to empower every citizen, regardless of age, gender or background, to become a maker of the digital future.
With their Code United Project, BeCentral Foundation organises coding workshops to vulnerable kids during holidays. Untill April 2022 they reached already more than 500 kids. They have the ambition to grow this number all over Belgium in the upcoming years.

• Mekanders Belgium

Vzw Mekanders wants to offer the best care and support to children and adults with disabilities. The organization wants to start homework guidance and learning as early as possible for the disabled children and young people in poverty in order to give them a strong foundation in their further (school) career. By providing support to children and young people as early as possible, do we want to prevent them from falling behind in learning and thus being left out of the boat would fall. We want to make sure that the children can participate in the classroom and not as be viewed differently.

• Abrace Brasil

Abrace has the mission to provide comprehensive care to young people and adults with intelectual disabilities, developing social assistance programs aimed at profissionalization, quality of life, social inclusion and the exercise of citizenship, with a methodology that makes a difference without an assistencialist posture.
Art, music, physical education, cooking, maths, dancing, are some of the activities developed by the entity, bringing joy and self-esteem.

• Viela Brasil

Viela is an organisation operational in Sao Paulo, Brasil. The organisation has a single objective: to offer alternative ways to train young people and children through learning, culture and sports.
Viela is asking funds for their “Project Spark Tech”. Project Spark Tech brings technology inclusion to up to 3000 teenagers (13 to 15 years old) in the community of Jardim Ibirapuera.
This experience sparks their interest in technology through a 6 month hands-on course. In the project, they will also train ambassadors to multiply the methodology so that teenagers keep engaged with technology and maintain the project alive.
The project is located in the district of Jardim São Luiz, Jardim Ibirapuera is a place with a high index of social vulnerability . Its youth faces severe threats to their future, such as joining drug dealing and the genocide of black teenagers. The project will be run for 4 years (2021-2025),.

• Eltern Hilfe Leipzig Hospital Germany

Art therapy for children, adolescents and young adults suffering from cancer, in the pediatric oncology ward of the Leipzig University Hospital.
Inpatient art therapy is aimed at children, adolescents and young adults suffering from cancer. The art therapy is used directly in the children’s cancer ward of the University Hospital in Leipzig. Around 80 children from Leipzig and a radius of around 100 km benefit from it every year. Art therapy offers distraction during the month-long stay in the clinic, offers the opportunity to express feelings non-verbally and ultimately serves to mentally strengthen the young patients. Their offer is unique in the region and closes a gap in the supply system. The association realizes and finances this offer without the support of the cost bearers (health insurance companies or similar).

• Academy of the Future Poland

The Academy of the Future has been helping children who do not believe in themselves, have low self-esteem, lack attention, support and friendly relationships since 2003.
This project works in cooperation with about 200 schools. Each year covers the care of approx. 1850 children.
The Academy strengthens children’s attitudes, gives them courage and experience to cope with obstacles and look forward to the future.
Each child receives the support of a personal volunteer-tutor with whom they meet for individual tuition once a week.

• Asafes Spain

Erroak- Young space, cares for young people and adolescents with serious mental illness, without forgetting their main caregivers.
The space offers training to learn about mental illness, a space for mutual help, spaces for relationships and participation in the community, and training for employment with real possibilities of job placement.

• Brighton Centre USA

Brighton Center’s mission is to create opportunities for individuals and families to reach self-sufficiency through family support services, education, employment and leadership. Their Stable Families program is focused on homelessness prevention serving families with children in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade who are at imminent risk of homelessness to stabilize their housing situation. The goal is for parents to maintain housing while children maintain school stability. Families work with a dedicated Family Centered Coach for 18 months, who provides intensive coaching, resource advocacy, and connection to wrap around supports. We serve approximately 150 families annually through the Stable Families program.

• Camp Ernst USA

The summer camp at YMCA Camp Ernst is famous and popular. Many parents choose to send their kids there during summer to learn new things, make new friends, and become more confident socializing with others. The mission of YMC is to make sure kids who couldn’t otherwise afford it get to have a magical camp experience next summer.

The chosen projects will benefit from the support of the Cartamundi Global Fund throughout the next 12 months. The second call for applications will be launched in October 2023. The new projects to be supported will be announced in November 2023.
Do you want to send in a project? Fill in this form here!