On September 15, 2025, a significant new initiative was launched with the potential to reshape the landscape of child protection across the globe. The AXA Fund for Human Progress, a philanthropic arm of the insurance giant, announced an international call for projects, pledging an impressive 10 million euros over three years to fight the scourge of violence against children. This ambitious program is set to roll out first in France, Spain, and Colombia, targeting the prevention, detection, support, and repair for children at risk.
Violence against children is not just a distant problem—it is a staggering, everyday reality. According to the World Health Organization, one in two children worldwide, or roughly one billion young people, has suffered physical, sexual, or emotional violence. Each year, 40,000 children lose their lives to homicide, often within the supposed safety of their own homes. In France alone, 50,000 children are victims of sexual violence annually, and, heartbreakingly, one child dies every five days as a result of intrafamilial violence. These numbers, cited by AXA and corroborated by the WHO, lay bare the immense challenge facing societies worldwide.
The consequences for those who survive such trauma are profound. Children exposed to violence often face lasting mental and physical health issues, disrupted education, and a future shadowed by the scars of their experiences. "These traumatismes gravely affect their health, schooling, and future," the AXA Fund emphasized, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive action.
Since 2023, AXA has been ramping up its commitment to child protection, building on its established track record of combating violence against women. The new program, which the company says is fully aligned with its mission to "act for human progress by protecting what matters," is designed to ensure that every child can grow up in safety, with confidence, and in dignity. The Fund's first call for projects is guided by two main priorities—prevention and repair—supporting innovative initiatives from associations, NGOs, and foundations. Projects will be judged on their potential for impact and sustainability, with an eye toward scalable solutions that can be replicated or adapted in different contexts.
The timing of AXA's announcement is no coincidence. Awareness of the plight of vulnerable children has been rising, fueled by a steady stream of distressing reports and, in some countries, high-profile cases that have sparked public outrage. The Fund's leaders are calling for collective mobilization, urging communities, governments, and organizations to work together to "repair today the children exposed to these violences and prepare them for a better future." The hope is that by pooling resources, expertise, and compassion, meaningful change can be achieved.
But what does action look like on the ground? While international funds and ambitious programs are crucial, the daily lives of children are often shaped by local initiatives and community engagement. In Pleurtuit, a small town in Ille-et-Vilaine on the Côte d’Emeraude, a very different but no less important story is unfolding. On September 14, 2025, the association La Pépinière des Unis Vers kicked off its seventh year of the bike-bus—a school pick-up service where children are escorted to school by volunteers on bicycles, following carefully mapped routes.
The bike-bus was the brainchild of the Youth Municipal Council, which launched the project in 2018. Two lines now operate daily, shepherding children safely to and from school while promoting sustainable transportation and a sense of community. Marie-Paule Dahirel and Nathalie Garrec, two of the original organizers, have remained steadfast in their commitment since the program’s inception. According to Ouest-France, the association was founded to nurture citizen-led collectives and initiatives, with a focus on local and sustainable development, environmental protection, and improving the social fabric of the Côte d’Emeraude.
At first glance, the global ambitions of the AXA Fund and the grassroots efforts of La Pépinière des Unis Vers might seem worlds apart. Yet both are driven by a shared conviction: that children’s safety and well-being are non-negotiable, and that it takes both large-scale investment and everyday acts of care to make a difference. The volunteers guiding the bike-bus each morning are, in their own way, part of the broader movement to create safer, healthier environments for children—preventing not only physical danger but also fostering confidence and belonging.
AXA’s program, with its 10-million-euro backing, is designed to support precisely these kinds of innovative, community-rooted projects, as well as larger-scale initiatives with the capacity to transform systems. The Fund’s leaders say they will be looking for proposals that demonstrate originality, measurable impact, and the potential for long-term change. "The program will support innovative initiatives carried by associations, NGOs, and foundations," the Fund stated, underlining its openness to a wide range of approaches and ideas.
For those working on the front lines, the stakes could not be higher. The statistics are sobering, but they also serve as a rallying cry. As the AXA Fund put it, "Let’s mobilize together to repair today the children exposed to these violences and prepare them for a better future." The challenge is immense, but so too is the opportunity. By combining the resources of major institutions with the passion and ingenuity of local communities, there is hope for real progress.
Of course, the road ahead is not without obstacles. Detecting and preventing violence against children requires coordination across sectors—health, education, justice, and social services—and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths. It also demands sustained investment, not just in emergency response but in long-term support for survivors and families. The AXA Fund’s three-year timeline and substantial financial commitment signal an understanding that change will not happen overnight, but that it is possible with perseverance and partnership.
Back in Pleurtuit, as children pedal their way to school each morning, accompanied by watchful volunteers, it’s easy to see the power of small actions. These bike-bus routes may not make international headlines, but they are a testament to what can be achieved when communities come together with a sense of purpose. In the words of the association’s founders, the goal is to "improve the social life of the inhabitants of the Côte d’Emeraude," but the impact goes far beyond local boundaries.
As the AXA Fund for Human Progress embarks on its new mission, the message is clear: protecting children from violence requires both vision and vigilance, global resolve and grassroots action. With collective effort, the invisible victims of today can become the resilient, thriving adults of tomorrow.