Closed – MARGOT TAMBE’ AWARD 2025
FMSI in cooperation with the Blue Marists of Alep, mission under the Marist Mediterranea Province, are pleased to announce the launch of the second edition of the “Margot També Award – Advancing Women’s Rights and Gender Equality.” This award offers funding of up to €5,000 for projects that aim to:
- Combat all forms of discrimination against girls and women.
- Promote equal opportunities for girls and young women to access education.
- Address violence against women and girls in both public and private spheres, including trafficking and all forms of sexual and other exploitation.
- Promote the full and effective participation of women, ensuring equal opportunities in political, economic, and public decision-making processes.
- Support reforms that guarantee women equal rights to economic resources, including access to ownership and control of land, financial services, inheritance, and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.
- Advocate for policies and legislation that foster gender equality and empower all women and girls at every level.
- Encourage female entrepreneurship, particularly among women and girls in vulnerable situations, enabling them to achieve financial independence and gender equality in this field.
The award honours the legacy of Margot També, the eldest volunteer of the Blue Marists, who passed away in February 2024. Margot’s life was a true example of altruism and commitment to others. Her deep dedication to community service, especially in advancing the role of women, left a lasting impact that continues to inspire.
Project proposals must be submitted using the official application form and sent no later than August 15, 2025, to the following email address: apetenzi@fms.it.
Each proposal must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement from a local Marist entity (such as a local Marist community, the Marist contact person for the country, or the regional Superior).
The first edition of the award supported an innovative educational program for young indigenous women in San Felipe Zihualtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. This project, led by the Patronato Nacional de Alfabetización y Extensión Educativa, A.C. (PNAEE), is currently being successfully implemented.
Submit your proposal for this year’s award—we look forward to hearing from you!
winning award 2024
winning award 2025
A Marist Bridge Between Syria and Colombia
The Blue Marists of Aleppo and the Solidarity Team of the Norandina Province meet to celebrate a project supporting grandmother caregivers in Bogotá — and the memory of the woman who inspired it.
On Thursday 21 May, the Blue Marists of Syria, the Solidarity Team of the Norandina Province, and FMSI met to share stories, reflect on their work, and celebrate the project “Women who spin wisdom and weave transformation” — the winning project of the second edition of the Margot També Award, established to honour the memory of a woman who gave her life to serving others.
The winning project is implemented in Colombia, coordinated by the Solidarity Team of the Norandina Province. It aims to recognise and strengthen the lived experience of 30 grandmother caregivers connected to the San Marcelino Champagnat Pastoral and Social Services Centre in Bogotá. These women, mostly over 60, have taken on the upbringing of their grandchildren in contexts of vulnerability, facing economic precariousness, limited family support, and difficulties accessing health and recreational services. The initiative brings together weekly sessions combining training, recreation, spirituality, crafts, digital literacy, physical activity, and mutual support. It also includes solidarity visits to sick neighbours, handicraft-making, physiotherapy, and an annual walk as a moment of collective celebration. The project aims to dignify this stage of women’s lives, reduce isolation, strengthen their physical, cognitive and social capacities, and consolidate community support networks.
The award was created in memory of Margot També, a long-standing volunteer with the Blue Marists of Syria, who passed away in 2024.
“In all the programmes, women were at the heart of Margot’s attention — but she had a remarkable ability to be close to everyone: women, children, and young people,” said Br. George Sabe. “Margot was the oldest member of the Blue Marists group, and she brought us the wisdom of experience as well as the strength to keep going. Despite her very advanced age she came every day and stayed connected with volunteers and programme participants. No one could escape Margot’s attention.”
The Blue Marists are a group of religious Brothers and lay Marists inspired by the spirituality and charism of St. Marcellin Champagnat, committed to living the Gospel in everyday life with simplicity, humility, and modesty. The group comprises 155 volunteers and staff. Under the name “The Ear of God”, they supported the most vulnerable Christian families in Aleppo from 1986 to 2012, providing assistance in food, housing, education, health, and employment. When the conflict broke out in Aleppo in July 2012, they became the “Blue Marists” — named after the distinctive t-shirts worn by young and adult volunteers — and expanded their reach to thousands of displaced Christian and Muslim families. They continue to implement programmes in support of the local population.
“For us, Margot represents a family spirit and a Marian spirit — of one who ‘rises and moves with haste’ to serve,” Br. George continued. “Together with Leyla, one of the founders of the Blue Marists, she would go out at midnight when they heard of cases in need of help. She had the ability to reconcile people and to offer what she held in her heart.”
The meeting’s primary purpose was connection — bringing the two communities together, with direct participants sharing their stories and reflecting on the impact the programme has had on their lives, their families, and their wider community. More than an exchange of information, it was an encounter of hearts, and a first step towards building a longer-term dialogue between the two realities, focused on older generations while also involving young people.
“I remember that a few days before she died,” Br. George recalled, “we were holding a training session for the Blue Marists’ volunteer leaders, and Margot followed the entire session and encouraged everyone. Until the last day of her life, Margot was an example to all of us.”
The Margot També Award reflects a commitment shared across the Marist network: to walk alongside the most marginalised, to honour those who dedicate their lives to others, and to keep building bridges of mutual understanding and communities of care — “Marist homes of light”.
