La Maison, 55 years of solidarity in motion

Some convictions are so strong that they end up influencing the world. In 1970, at the foot of the Valais mountains, a humanitarian venture was born. Women and men came together to offer seriously ill children from far away a place of refuge where they could recover surrounded by care, tenderness and attention. This is how La Maison de Terre des hommes Valais in Massongex was born.

For 55 years, this unique institution has promoted the values of commitment, kindness and solidarity. Every year, nearly 180 children, mainly from Africa, stay at La Maison before or after vital operations carried out in the University Hospitals of Lausanne and Geneva. These procedures would be impossible to perform in their countries of origin. What they find here goes far beyond medical care: it is an environment where they learn to smile, play and breathe again. A place where life takes a new deeper breath.

By Valérie Pellissier

“Seeing these fragile little lives get back on their feet… it marks you forever.”

Edmond Pot, volunteer

Where it all began

Before La Maison took shape in people’s minds, a simple yet powerful conviction emerged. Children in danger needed a shelter.

At the turn of the 1960s, Edmond Kaiser, founder of the Terre des hommes movement, was deeply moved by the plight of children during the Algerian War. With the support of Paul Veillon, he brought to Switzerland young lives that had been wounded or sickened, lost in the turmoil of the world. They found a helping hand in the many families of the Saint-Maurice and Monthey regions. In these Valais homes, solidarity was put into action.

Soon, other faces appeared, coming from Vietnam, bearing the scars of a new conflict. Families continued to open their doors, faithful to this impulse of the heart that knows no borders. But the tide of distress grew, and the need for action became clear. A place was needed to welcome these young patients, a home where they could recover in comfort and dignity. In 1970, this vision took shape. La Maison opened its doors in Massongex.

The first faces of hope

This project was born thanks to pioneers with big hearts, driven by the same force. Among the first to get involved, Edmond Pot remembers a moving encounter in the early 1960s. He crossed paths with a little Vietnamese girl who was hospitalised in Saint-Maurice for serious orthopaedic problems. “She stayed with us for two years. She was adorable,” he says fondly. Childless, Edmond and his wife saw her as a daughter of destiny. Years later, they found her in Vietnam and helped her return to live in Switzerland. “Seeing these fragile little lives get back on their feet… it marks you forever,” he whispers, still emotional.

At his side, Hugo Italiano, 91, the living memory of the institution, also recalls those heroic beginnings. Even before La Maison opened, he took in a little Vietnamese boy with a serious heart condition. “He stayed with us for three years. At the time, we opened our doors as we opened our hearts.” The association’s initial budget was modest, barely 400,000 francs, but the generosity was immense.

“We organised walks, orange sales, lotteries. We were beggars at heart, but we kept going.” The first children arrived, survivors of war or severely burned. “Some had their chins stuck to their chests. It was terrible. But seeing them leave healed was our reward.”

A lifetime of commitment to helping children

A few years later, a 25-year-old man walked through the door of Terre des hommes Valais. Jacques Darbellay simply wanted to “do something for others”. This discreet gesture would become the common thread of forty-five years of faithful commitment.

In the 1970s, everything still depended on solidarity and resourcefulness. The committee took care of everything, with unfailing energy. Funds were raised through popular initiatives. Everyone gave their time, often a lot of it, always with the same generosity.

Over the decades, La Maison grew and transformed. It became more professional and structured, evolving into a solid institution recognised by its institutional and medical partners: the CHUV and the HUG. With restrained emotion, Jacques confides: “La Maison is a bit like my parallel life. I gave a lot to it, but I received even more in return.”

Before addressing the generations taking over: “Keep going. Always keep the child at the centre. No matter the difficulties or disagreements. The most important thing is that they are cared for, fed, and can return home healthy.”

A flame that is passed on

Today, La Maison has modernised without ever losing its soul.

Iris Theux is the perfect illustration of this. “The first person who told me about Terre des hommes Valais was my mother”, she says softly. “As an assistant to Dr Denis Chevalet, medical advisor at La Maison, she passed on her passion for commitment to me.”

During a six-month trial internship in Massongex, Iris immersed herself in a world that would leave a lasting impression on her: “I discovered the richness of the mission, the children, the staff, the atmosphere… it touched me deeply.”

Now a member of the Valais volunteer group committee, she remembers the face of a shy little boy whom she struggled to win over: “On the day I left, he didn’t want to let me go. I’ll never forget that farewell.” This memory alone sums up the spirit of La Maison. “Here, love flows”, she adds simply. “In the way we care for the children, and in what they give us in return.”

“Here, love flows. In the way we care for the children, and in what they give us in return.”

Iris Theux, volunteer

Looking to the future

Naila Farouk, a sponsor and transport volunteer, has known La Maison since childhood. “It was part of the landscape”, she smiles. In 2023, she took a break from her career… and immediately got involved with La Maison, guided by a sense of purpose. “On May 31, I sent my farewell email after a fifteen-year career. On June 1, I made my first trip from the HUG to Massongex.”

Since then, Naila has been transporting, accompanying and mentoring. She talks about an “incredible exercise” that connects La Maison to a whole network of care and solidarity. “Each and every one of us carries the torch, or passes it on to someone else. Here, the children find a home, a family, a new beginning.”

A light that continues to shine

Today, and for decades, La Maison welcomes nearly 180 convalescing residents each year. After major operations, they find a caring environment in Massongex where they can laugh, play and rebuild themselves.

Behind every smile is an invisible chain, woven from discreet gestures, dedication and love, carried by the hands of professionals and volunteers. All united by the same mission: to enable these young people who have come from far away to regain their health. “May La Maison always keep the same spirit, the same warmth”, wishes Edmond Pot. And for as long as there are children to welcome, La Maison will have a reason to exist.

Together for the future of children

La Maison faces a major challenge: raising 4.2 million Swiss francs per year to continue its work with the most vulnerable children.

Without subsidies, its budget remains fragile and depends entirely on the generosity of donors, volunteers and all those who believe that a gesture of solidarity can truly change a life.

The urgency is both financial and human. Every donation and every minute of volunteer time extends this adventure that began 55 years ago: giving seriously ill children access to the care, attention and dignity they deserve.