Background

Originally from the North of France, Louis Blondel taught philosophy in Tanzania and was sent to South Africa in 1987. He was a priest and was very committed to social work, founding CORDIS (Christian OutReach Done In Solidarity) in 1999 in Orange Farm, a township of Johannesburg. The aim of CORDIS is to help people facing social exclusion to reintegrate society by living as part of a community. It also informs the poor about their civil and economic rights and promotes values of solidarity. Being French he knew of Emmaus and Abbé Pierre’s work. He contacted Emmaus International and participated in Emmaus Africa meetings in order to discover the Movement from the inside. CORDIS became a member of Emmaus International in 2004.
Louis Blondel was murdered on 7 December 2009 by thieves who left almost empty-handed, another example of the violence shaking his adopted country. Just a few months earlier he had taken a step back from the organisation and had passed the responsibility on to Beron Molantoa, who was at his side from the very beginning.