Grégory Rausis takes the helm at La Maison

Some places don’t settle for just existing. They watch over, they mend, they enlighten. They are safe havens for humanity, beacons, enclaves of light in a world that has lost its bearings. La Maison de Terre des hommes Valais is one such place. On the 1^st of March, Grégory Rausis became its guardian.

Approaching his 50th birthday, this father of three and sailor at heart knows what it means to sail against the tide. He also knows that a good captain does not impose himself by force: he adjusts the sails, keeps his eye on the horizon and trusts his crew.

By Valérie Pellissier

A long-standing commitment

Grégory never sought this position. He simply continued, with consistency, on the path he had been following for fifteen years. It was a journey without shortcuts, marked by the regularity of a man who knows why he is moving forward. He spoke on behalf of the institution, rallied support, and told stories of children and rebirth. Then one day, it became clear that it was time to pick up the torch.

He took over from Philippe Gex, who had led La Maison with integrity and kindness for a quarter of a century. The handover reflected their two careers: unpretentious, trusting and calm, with everything passed on smoothly. “I was involved in the decisions”, says Grégory. “I had time to feel the heartbeat of this place.” He talks about it as if it were a living being he knows intimately: with tenderness, vigilance and the respect of someone who knows that there are lives on board.

Stability cultivated amid uncertainty

In an era when humanitarianism is gradually giving way to security concerns, when borders are becoming more rigid and solidarity is waning, it takes courage to continue believing that treating a child from the other side of the world is an essential act that defies indifference. Grégory is convinced of this. He speaks softly, but his words carry weight.

“Here, we choose to resist where others give up. We must stand tall, face the headwinds and refuse to slip into resignation.”

His experience in communications has taught him how to choose his words carefully. His years spent bringing projects to life and overseeing their resources have taught him to read between the budget lines. But it is not strategy that guides his choices. It is intuition, almost faith: that La Maison must remain, reinvent itself if necessary, but never betray its values and mission.

“Perhaps tomorrow, he says, the children we take in will have different faces. Our mission may need to expand. But what we must preserve, at all costs, is the spirit.”

Marks that speak to the heart

When Grégory talks about La Maison, he expresses a deep sensitivity and genuine understanding of the trials faced by the families of the children welcomed here. He mentions with restraint a formative experience he had as a young father, which gave him a profound insight into the torment of waiting, the anxiety and the feeling of helplessness experienced by these parents.

“During that time, I understood what those who wait, fear and hope feel. What the families of the children we support here go through.”

He doesn’t theorize empathy. He lives it. And everything becomes clearer. Here, there is no need for grand speeches. One only needs to look at the children, their scars, their smiles. La Maison cares for nearly two hundred children every year. Two hundred reasons to act. Two hundred faces that give concrete meaning to every donation, every gesture, every step towards recovery.

A light carefully preserved

When asked what he wants for the future of La Maison, Grégory replies without hesitation: “I want it to become a landmark, a given, a promise kept in a world that too often forgets its own.”

Then, in a more serious tone, he adds: “If La Maison were to disappear one day, we might not notice it right away. But for thousands of children, it would be a night without end.”

Grégory Rausis is neither a hero nor a conqueror. He charts his course with humility, but with an inner compass firmly fixed to his heart.