Bringing people together above the clouds

Sometimes a simple gesture is enough to change the course of a life. Taking the hand of a sick child, settling them on the plane, gently reassuring them as they leave their country of origin, their language and all their landmarks. This is what the volunteers of Aviation Sans Frontières have been doing for over forty years, crisscrossing the skies with kindness and generosity. Once the wheels touch down on the tarmac, then other arms, those of La Maison de Terre des hommes Valais, can take over the care of that child with the same attention. In this safe haven, these little hearts in transit gradually learn to live again, to laugh and to heal.

Amongst the faces in this chain of solidarity, you will find Catherine and Claude Fleurimont-Bacara, Philippe Schneiter and Amandine Llau, each in their own way, discretely embodying the power of dedication.

By Valérie Pellissier

On the road to life: Catherine and Claude, a duo in the service of children

“We behave as if they were our own children.” This statement from Catherine Fleurimont-Bacara sums up the altruistic and profound approach that motivates so many volunteers. For more than two and a half years, this former finance executive has been involved with Aviation Sans Frontières, transforming each mission into a genuine act of generosity.

Her first convoy, to Bamako, remains engraved in her memory: “The culture shock and the armed welcome we received when I got off the plane left a lasting impression on me. But what I remember most of all was the moving reunions between the healed children and their families.”

On arrival in Geneva, the Terre des hommes Valais team took over. “At the airport infirmary, everything is ready. The staff are gentle and reassuring. You can feel that the children are in good hands. And I can leave them with a light heart”, she confides.

Claude, for his part, works with the same conviction. A former fuel expert with Air France, he encountered striking poverty in Africa, but also an overwhelming human warmth. “One day, I said to myself that I had to give something back. So, I took the plunge.”

Both are starry-eyed when speaking of their commitment; fatigue, waiting times, unforeseen events… it doesn’t matter. “We feel useful. We’ve had a great career. Today, we give meaning in a different way.”

Philippe, one hand on the wheel, the other on his heart

At the age of 60, Philippe Schneiter could have chosen the tranquillity of a well-deserved retirement after a career in civil aviation and humanitarian aid, but it was the call to contribute that guided him. “I have time, it’s my wealth. So, I share it”, he explains with disarming sincerity.

Already involved in international support initiatives in the Philippines, Egypt and Indonesia, he has learned to assess the needs when stakes are high. However, what he is now experiencing with sick children strikes a different chord. For just over a year, he has been a volunteer conveyor for two complementary organisations: Terre des hommes Valais, for ground transport, and Aviation Sans Frontières, for air transport. Two ways of serving the same cause: vulnerable children.

His journeys are punctuated by fond memories. “When a mother puts her baby in your arms, there’s fear, trust and love. It’s moving”, he recalls. There’s no shortage of anecdotes. “Once, I found two children I had previously accompanied. They jumped into my arms. You can’t make that up.”

Or the little Mohamed, aka Momo, who proudly exclaimed: “I’m ready for take-off!” A phrase that has become the tagline of an unforgettable moment.

“What I do doesn’t cost me anything and makes every day worthwhile”, he says. In a sometimes-frivolous world, this powerful message resonates with its simplicity.

Amandine, conductor in chief of the flight solidarity movement

From Paris, Amandine Llau, supported by a dozen volunteers, coordinates the accompaniment of children at Aviation Sans Frontières, while sometimes going out into the field herself. She organises nearly 1,200 departures a year for 500 to 600 children, mostly from Africa.

Amandine speaks of the volunteers with admiration: “They become temporary aunts and uncles, the beacons of light on the path of care for these little travellers.”

She has a precious relationship with La Maison de Terre des hommes Valais: “The children you take in are autonomous, curious and happy. That’s a reflection of the exceptional environment you offer them there. That makes all the difference.”

She recalls a particularly long and trying flight, in the middle of the Covid crisis, with two four-year-old girls she was accompanying alone: “They didn’t speak the same language, but they quickly became friends. They gave me the strength to carry on.”

An important chain, driven by generosity

Neither Aviation Sans Frontières nor La Maison de Terre des hommes Valais receives any public funding to carry out these missions. “Everything depends on the generosity of those who believe in our work”, Amandine emphasizes.

Every gesture counts. Your donations fund the journeys, the care and the vital logistics. Thanks to you, a child’s operation can be funded. Thanks to you, a family can regain hope.