Make A Real Change In A Young Person’s Life

FOTIS is a non-profit organization directed by volunteers and based in Geneva, Switzerland.  Its purpose is to provide secondary education to students in developing countries who would otherwise not be able to continue their studies.  A secondary education gives young people the opportunity to build a brighter future, both for themselves and for their communities.

Around the world the number of young people not attending secondary school remains high, the estimate is that over one third of all secondary school age children do not attend school. The situation is more critical in some regions,  in Sub-Saharan Africa almost three quarters are out of school,  in South Asia close to one half. The barriers to secondary education are essentially financial. Young people are needed by their families to work and help provide livelihood. Secondary education is expensive as the families not only have to provide the school fees, but also books, uniforms and often transportation.

FOTIS is dedicated to providing access to secondary school education for children in developing countries around the world

Latest News

Education for All Sierra Leone – Interview

Education for All Sierra Leone – Interview

The following interview with the founder Martine Coppens shows the successful progress of the project and the impact of FOTIS sponsorship.   What are the latest improvements you see in the village’s ‘Education for All’ program?The biggest improvement in the...

read more
Letter from a graduate in Ethiopia

Letter from a graduate in Ethiopia

In 2012 FOTIS agreed to sponsor 7 Ethiopian girls who were HIV positive orphans. They lived and were cared for in a home run by Artists for Charity, an Ethiopian/Swiss organization. The girls were motived to do well despite their difficult start in life. FOTIS...

read more

FOTIS Patron Scheme 2025/26: Back to School

 

It’s back-to-school time for many children around the world and thanks to the generous support of our donors FOTIS students are also preparing for new semesters of learning.

For our 15th anniversary in September 2023 we launched the ‘Back To School’ campaign, an invitation to become a Patron or a Friend of FOTIS by pledging an annual support.

We are renewing the campaign this September 2025: It couldn’t be easier to sign up as an individual, family or corporate, just follow the link. In an increasingly difficult environment for non-profits around the world, FOTIS continues to  raise and distribute  funds, this year adding  projects in Burkina Faso and Haiti.

Learn more and donate

 

100 Resolutions for Education 2024 

 

We are grateful  to all who have joined the 100 Resolutions for Education 2024. Here a few words of thank you from our students in Colombia.

Since 2008 number of students sponsored for 2 to up to 7 years of school:

students sponsored

Countries

Continents

With the support of our donors this year FOTIS has sponsored 135 students, 31 have successfully graduated!

Donate Today or Get Involved

Help Change a Young Person's Life Donate Today!

Send a Message

Fill out the form or send us an email at contact@fotis.ch