José María Vélaz was a Jesuit priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

 from Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 who founded Fe y Alegria (Faith and Joy) in 1949. Fe y Alegria is a movement for popular integrated education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

, with a special mission to provide quality education for the poor. Following a proud tradition of Jesuit education, Vélaz believed that the best way to change society was through education. Vélaz died in 1985, having seen his organisation grow into one of the most important educational movements in the world.

Statistics in 2003

By 2003 there were 1,232,140 people being formed in institution of Fe y Alegria, in 13 different countries throughout South and Central America. There were 2080 different institutions, employing almost 3500 people. The international federation publishes many books, and at a national level, Fe y Alegria publishes many academic journals, magazines and books.