Organization - Maison de Terre des hommes - Discover the story of La Maison

About La Maison

The foundation of Terre des homme Valais runs autonomously La Maison de Terre des hommes and manages its finances that are solely based on public donations.

The foundation

La Maison's mission is to take in children transferred to Switzerland by various partners. For the most part, these are children from West Africa who need to undergo surgery, mainly heart surgery. Unable to receive treatment in their own countries, they are transfered to Switzerland for surgery in Geneva or Lausanne, and stay at Terre des hommes Valais before and after the operation, until they can return home.

The Council of Foundation

Michel Mottiez
President of the Council of Foundation
André Morand
vice-president of the Council of Foundation
Denis Chevalley
Referring doctor of the Council of Foundation
Amanda Cotter
Member of the Council of Foundation
Robert Clerc
Member of the Council of Foundation
Nathalie Revaz
Member of the Council of Foundation
Olivier Revaz
Member of the Council of Foundation

La Maison

Philippe Gex
Director
Grégory Rausis
Fundraising and communication
Manager
Carlos Guiterez
Medical Care
Manager
Tania Kebe
Education
Manager
Alioune NGom
Education
Manager
Anne Hehlen
Services
Manager
Zihret Hasanovic
Coordination
Manager
Jordy Fournier
Administration
Manager

Our Mission

Step by step, Terre des hommes Valais changed the lives of more than 10000 children in more than 60 countries.

« We tangibly changed the lives of these children and their families. But our mission is far from being over: everyday, we receive terrible news about atrocities and inequalities all over the world. But every day, at “La Maison”, we manage to find hope and motivation, in the smile of a child or in the most touching situations. We are determined to keep going, according to the spirit of the Terre des hommes chart, thus pushing the limits of what may seem impossible: a fairer, better world. »

The timeline

1963
Creation of Terre des hommes Valais
Arrival of 30 children in families from Monthey.
1969
Purchase, renovation and opening of La Maison
1970
Inauguration of La Maison
1975
Inauguration of the pavillon. Aim: increase the accomodation capacity of children
1985
The 2.000th child goes home, healed.
2010
Renovation of La Maison and construction of a new infirmary
2016
Construction and opening of the new school
2020
La Maison celebrates its 50th anniversary and has welcomed more than 9.000 children
2022
Decision by the Lausanne-based foundation Terre des hommes to end its specialist care programme
And consequently its collaboration with Terre des hommes Valais. Strengthening and creation of partnerships for Terre des hommes Valais to continue its work at La Maison.
December 2022
A new partnership to save lives
La Maison has signed a partnership agreement with Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, the largest provider of transfers of seriously ill children to Europe
2023
60 years of the Terre des hommes Valais Foundation
Between 1963 and 2023, thousands of children have stayed with foster families in the Valais or in our care home to receive treatment.
2023
Signing of a partnership with a Swiss foundation
The Fondation Chirurgie pour l'Enfance Africaine develops and perpetuates surgical operations in West Africa. The collaboration with the CHUV and La Maison enables children from less-favoured countries to benefit from treatment in Switzerland that is not available to them at home.
1963 1969 1970 1975 1985 2010 2016 2020 2022 December 2022 2023 2023
Creation of Terre des hommes Valais
Arrival of 30 children in families from Monthey.
Purchase, renovation and opening of La Maison
Inauguration of La Maison
Inauguration of the pavillon. Aim: increase the accomodation capacity of children
The 2.000th child goes home, healed.
Renovation of La Maison and construction of a new infirmary
Construction and opening of the new school
La Maison celebrates its 50th anniversary and has welcomed more than 9.000 children
Decision by the Lausanne-based foundation Terre des hommes to end its specialist care programme
And consequently its collaboration with Terre des hommes Valais. Strengthening and creation of partnerships for Terre des hommes Valais to continue its work at La Maison.
A new partnership to save lives
La Maison has signed a partnership agreement with Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, the largest provider of transfers of seriously ill children to Europe
60 years of the Terre des hommes Valais Foundation
Between 1963 and 2023, thousands of children have stayed with foster families in the Valais or in our care home to receive treatment.
Signing of a partnership with a Swiss foundation
The Fondation Chirurgie pour l'Enfance Africaine develops and perpetuates surgical operations in West Africa. The collaboration with the CHUV and La Maison enables children from less-favoured countries to benefit from treatment in Switzerland that is not available to them at home.

The Charter

The Charter, written in 1966 by the founder of Terre des hommes, Mr Edmond Kaiser, establishes the existence of the Foundation Terre des hommes, its mission and fundamental values. The Charter of Terre des hommes declares that children in distress is not due to a fatality and that the durable improvements of living standard of children in need represents the ultimate aim of all projects of Terre des hommes.
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