As I also wrote in the introduction of MakeZen, one of my purposes is to provide inspirational stories of social entrepreneurs who are making positive changes all around the world. I would like to dedicate this post to Aline Rebeaud, a social entrepreneur from Switzerland but is known for her effort in helping orphans and disabled people in Vietnam. Back in the early 90s, she travelled to Vietnam as a tourist and artist. One evening she found a child sobbing inconsolably and all alone. She quickly became aware of the desperate conditions which orphans must endure when forced to live out on the streets. A second encounter was to change her life. She was visiting a psychiatric asylum when she met a twelve years old boy who was barely alive, chained to the floor. His state of health was catastrophic and everyone was convinced that he was about to die. But Aline refused to listen to this diagnostic and took it upon herself to look after him. She took him to hospital so he could receive treatment for his liver, lung and heart conditions. She took care of him and stayed with him all through the three long months that he was in hospital, paying for the treatment by selling her paintings. When they came out of hospital, Aline was christened “Tim” by the other patients where “Tim” means “heart” in Vietnamese.
This was the beginning of the establishment of Maison Chance ( http://www.maison-chance.org ) which also means Lucky House, a center for disabled people and street children, orphans who have no family. Since 1993, Maison Chance has grown into a NGO providing shelter but also medical care, education and training for handicapped citizens. The long-term objective of Maison Chance is to help the beneficiaries acquire professional skills that will allow them to become financially autonomous and successfully re-integrate into society. After years of development, Maison Chance has become an international organization with branches in France, Switzerland, the United States and Belgium. It is wonderful to see all the wonderful works Maison Chance and Miss Tim Aline has achieved in all those years with people who were abandoned by the society. Please take a look at their website to learn more about them.
