The Picture
«On the island of Little Andaman, these smiling imps get a school meal which encourages their parents – poor farmers or fishermen – to let them attend. In this region of the Indian Ocean, ravaged by the Tsunami in 2004, the programs of Terre des hommes help the children whilst supporting their families. They take part in development by education and health care. And above all, they do not stop helping when the media fuss dies down.
It is the visible pleasure of these schoolchildren which made me choose this picture. But is there a risk to show it to your own children at home, when they are often told not to play with food?»
Christian Brun, 2009



The Autor - Christian Brun
Free-lance press photographer Christian Brun is regularly published in Swiss daily papers and magazines. Made aware of the activities of Terre des hommes to help children throughout the world, he has repeatedly done voluntary photographic reports at our projects in Mauritania (2006) and in Senegal (2007), as well as commissioned reports about actions in Switzerland. Christian Brun, together with Terre des hommes, designed an exhibition of large-scale pictures of children in Mauritania. Launched in Nouakchott in Summer, 2007, this exhibition is presently on tour in Switzerland.
His work can be seen on: http://flickr.com/photos/guiderope/


The Project - India
The Andaman Islands – With the support of Tdh, children and adolescents regularly benefit from health checks in schools. Community health workers are trained to identify sick children in the villages. Tdh also intervenes with the Indian Government to promote a comprehensive health policy.




Photo of the month: Otober - Brazil



The Picture
«They act tough, eyeing the visitors up and down with a cool glance, proudly showing the tattoos commemorating their first homicide. But in their lonely hours, these young men with bulging muscles craft little swans of blue and white paper. Are they hardened criminals or lost children of the favela? What does the future hold for these under-age youths in crowded cells? Such questions mount up within the thick walls of the detention center of Sao Luis in Brazil. So that these walls do not become the end of their journey, Tdh bets on giving a last chance: reintegration through a professional apprenticeship and detention in an open environment.»
Odile Meylan, 2009



The Autor - Odile Meylan
After a first training as teacher and before becoming a press photographer, Odile Meylan attended a three-month course at the International Center for Photography in New York, then went to the Centre Romand in Lausanne for training as a journalist. She is employed at the daily newspaper 24heures since 2002. Working regularly for the MedAir organization, her trip to Brazil was her first photo mandate in the field for Tdh. Previously, Ms. Meylan was contracted by Tdh for photo reports concerning activities in Switzerland. See her pictures under:
www.flickr.com/photos/madameginette/
www.superlocal.ch/lausanne/photo/?author=2


The Project - Brazil
Alternatives to the streets – Tdh helps children living in the streets to reintegrate socially. The children take part in socio-educational and artistic activities.
Perspectives for the future – the activities, the places for self-expression and individual follow-ups by Tdh strengthen and develop the children's abilities. With improved self-confidence they are able to envisage new perspectives for the future, such as schooling or job training.
Advocacy – On one hand Tdh works directly with the children, their families and the community. On the other, Tdh lobbies the Brazilian authorities to facilitate their access to heath services, education and job training.




This month's picture: June - Burundi

The Photo
"On the banks of Lake Tanganyika, youths living on the streets try to keep themselves occupied and earn a bit of food by helping the fishermen. Coming from the hills – from which they were forced to flee by the "crisis" (the war) – they are often orphaned and have lived on the streets from an early age; there appears to be no way out for them. In this photo I can see the beauty of Burundi, filled with a seemingly insoluble situation, with fatalism and ever-latent violence"
François Struzik, 2009



The Autor - François Struzik
Francois Struzik, an independent Belgian photographer, has been to visit projects of Terre des hommes (Tdh) three times. A first trip in Autumn 2007 to Moldova, a second to Romania in April 2008 and recently a third to Burundi. During his work he has been confronted by various subjects and situations such as orphans of war or AIDS, children living on the streets, the marginalization of Roma children and the dangers of migration in Eastern Europe.
His photos have been published in the Terre des hommes Magazine and the online magazine: BFM
His site: http://www.simplyhuman.be/


The Project - Burundi
Children in a street situation - In the capital Bujumbura, Terre des hommes works for the reintegration of these children in their own families. The youngsters who cannot go back home are supported towards an independent life by way of job training. All decisions are first discussed together with the child concerned. Tdh works within a network, so as to coordinate tasks and to profit from synergies.




This month's picture: May - Switzerland

The Photo
"Usually, Terre des hommes' actions take place in far-off countries, in lands of adventure. But sometimes, as in this picture, in the quiet and precision of a studio photograph. I like to show nice products. It's all about finding the right angle and creating the sort of atmosphere to breathe life into the objects. Terre des hommes' coffee turned out to be very photogenic, but it still wasn't easy! The coffee beans were unruly and refused to stay put on the studio table I was using. I needed hours of patient placing to get them to shine as they should in the light of the flash!"
Yvain Genevay, May 2009




The Autor - Yvain Genevay
He has been a press photographer for some twenty years; Yvain Genevay covers for Le Matin and Le Matin Dimanche as well as for local current affairs in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and Federal politics in Berne. He has also carried out numerous reports abroad which have taken him from Gaza to Cambodia, through India, Russia, Japan and several East African countries. For these same journals he specializes in studio photos, particularly ones about cooking and food. His first job for Terre des hommes was to take photos in his private studio of articles for Tdh's online sales shop.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/genevay/


Terre des homme shop - Coffee
Biological and fair trading. We chose Peru as producer because Tdh runs projects there in the field of nutrition as well as in restorative juvenile justice.
The cooperative farm which produces this coffee, "Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera La Florida" lies between 700 and 1,800 meters above sea level. With their profits, the cooperative contributes to the health insurance of its members, invests in their training and makes participation at international trade fairs possible.
In Switzerland, our business partners are Fritz Bertschi AG in Birsfelden. Bertschi-Coffee specializes in importing and roasting coffee for Bio and Max Havelaar, and is a guarantee for perfect quality.




This month's picture: April - Switzerland

The Photo
«This photo, taken on a Saturday morning in Berne, shows the involvement of volunteers in the sale of decorated eggs. In the foreground, the Terre des hommes saleslady stands for all the volunteer workers who so vigorously support the Foundation. Behind her, a donor represents the financial strength of Terre des hommes, without which our child relief could not exist. Warmest thanks go to all the sponsors, too, for their support and help to realise the numerous projects of Terre des hommes.»
Frederic Meyer, April 2009




The Autor - Frederic Meyer
After training at the Photographic Department of the Beaux Arts School in Zurich, this native of Berne started his career as a freelance for various magazines. In 1986 he won the "Swiss Grand Prix for Photography" with the theme: Youth in Switzerland. Since 1989, he has been allied with the «kontrast» group and became a member of this Zurich atelier which is commissioned by Swiss and foreign media. During the summer of 2007, Frederic Meyer went on a Terre des hommes media visit to Kosovo, where he discovered projects in the fight against juvenile delinquency.
www.kontrast.ch


The Action - The sale of eggs
6 million children die of hunger each year throughout the world. 150 million are underweight. The takings from the sale of Easter decorations and eggs go towards nutrition programmes for mothers and their children. The aid given them is in form of food products, but also advice and training courses for a healthier diet and good hygiene. In 2008, groups of Terre des hommes volunteer workers at 70 sales stalls sold Easter items, including a huge number of painted eggs, and earned a grand total of CHF 222,000.-




This month's picture: March - Switzerland

The Photo
«This photo is a lovely symbol of warmth on a freezing cold day. Thanks to the fruit from a hot climate filling the foreground, but mainly thanks to the lovely smile of one of the 1,500 volunteers who take part in this action to help children every year.»
Florian Cella, February 2009




The Autor - Florian Cella
A young self-taught photographer, Florian Cella has been working for the press in the French-speaking part of Switzerland for eight years. He collaborated with Terre des hommes in Switzerland for the first time when covering the sale of oranges in 2008. In June of the same year, he visited a field project for Terre des hommes in the West Bank of Jordan and the Gaza Strip. His favorite domains are reporting and portraits. Florian Cella presently employed by "24Heures". You can see some of his work on: http://flickr.com/photos/floriancella/


The Action - The sale of oranges
The oranges bought on the street and by companies make it possible to give families access to basic health care and to offer specialized medical treatment to severely ill children. Last year, takings of over CHF 500,000 enabled dozens of children to have surgery in the university hospitals of Lausanne and Geneva and ensured their convalescence at the Maison of Terre des hommes in the canton of Valais. Recognizable by their badges, around 1,500 volunteers will be selling fruit to passers-by next 6th and 7th March.




This month's picture: February - Haiti

The Photo
«I took this photo of a child in a church which had been transformed for the occasion into an outpatient treatment room. The diameter of his upper arm is being measured to screen him for malnutrition. This simple system of health evaluation is very reliable and ultra-quick, if you think that a group of 7 nurses can check up to 250 children a day!
I chose this photo because of the hands holding the child and the look in his eyes. His mother holding him in her arms for reassurance, the gentleness of the nurse's hands doing her job, and in the child's eyes a scared look about the whole procedure, as if asking us for help.
Clearly he is too young to realize that, at that moment, he couldn't be in better hands. Contrary to what one might think, child malnutrition is not always visible. Sometimes, for example, they may look a bit overweight; but this is really a subcutaneous layer of liquid that has developed due to lack of suitable nourishment.
Luckily, this particular child is in good health and after the check-up he went back to playing. But round him there are other mothers and their children whose state of health is far worse. Children who need urgent treatment - or even hospitalization. Thanks to Terre des hommes, this is possible.»
Sandro Mahler, January 2009




The Autor - Sandro Mahler
The Ticino photographer Sandro Mahler visited Tdh health projects in Haiti in November 2008, when he attended some days of screening for malnutrition. Previously he had reported for Tdh on the fight against malnutrition and on juvenile justice in Peru and Guinea.
Sandro Mahler photographs works of art (paintings and sculptures), portraits for journals and magazines, photographs for publicity and architecture, as well as doing photo-reportage. On top of all this he gives courses at the Central School for Graphic Industries (CSIA) in Lugano.


The Project - Haiti
Nutrition - Set up in 1995, the Center for Nutritional Recuperation (CREN) in Cayes treats children suffering from severe malnutrition. Transferred in 2004 to the public pediatric services in the Regional Hospital, Tdh continues to support this organization at both a technical and financial level.
Community prevention activities for mother-and-child health and nutrition were developed in rural locations in the region. With the aid of health workers who visit families, Tdh passes on good health advice based on breast-feeding, the right food for pregnant women and for babies. In the "Clubs for Mothers", mothers meet to exchange knowledge and experience.
Water purification and hygiene - In the villages, Tdh installs systems of access to drinking water and collective latrines, to avoid the focal points of epidemics. One important task is promoting and training towards improved hygiene. Within the communities, young mothers are particularly encouraged to use bottled water when making up food for babies.




This month's picture: January - Peru

The Photo
«In the suburbs of Lima, the police station in the Agustina quarter is showing pioneer spirit. A brightly lit, white-painted room has replaced the usual dark, narrow cell for those remanded in custody. When a minor is arrested, the police are asked to contact a member of Encuentros, Tdh's partner there, and the public prosecutor. Together they take charge of the prisoner and start talks with him and with his victim. The aim of this is to avoid the young person being imprisoned and so coming into close contact with 'real' criminals. During these talks, Encuentros can get to know him and his family situation and his needs.
At an initial stage, the delinquent is left alone in the white room so he can cool down and start to look at things more calmly. Then he is taken to a second room where the walls are covered in happy, coloured pictures, making him feel reassured. This warm atmosphere helps the youth begin a dialogue with the psychologist, the social helper, a lawyer or the prosecutor. With disconcerting simplicity, this procedure seems to prove particularly efficient, and permits setting up a network within the social system as well as getting closer to the families, so as to offer them help.»
Mélanie Rouiller, January 2009




The Autor - Mélanie Rouiller
A professional photographer living in Vaulruz in the canton of Fribourg, Mélanie Rouiller has carried out several photographic jobs for Terre des hommes in Switzerland, particularly on the occasion of the World Food Day in 2007, and at the beginning of 2008 during the traditional sales of oranges. In November 2008 she went to Peru for the first time to visit field projects of Tdh. Mélanie Rouiller also works freelance for some journals (Migros Magazine, La Gruyère, La Liberté) and does publicity work for Fribourg firms.
You can see some of her work on: www.kokochkacreation.ch


The Project - Peru
Juvenile justice - Since 2003, Terre des hommes has been holding training courses for prosecutors, judges, lawyers, police, prison governors, psychologists, social workers and youth workers, so as to find alternatives to prison sentences.
With its partners, Encuentros, Tdh guarantees immediate, effective protection for a young person in conflict with the law from the time of his arrest at a police station, and then ensures support and reintegration of the youth in his family environment.
Emergencies - After the earthquake in Pisco, rebuilding wells, constructing latrines for families and community reservoirs of drinking water were the main challenges for Tdh, together with encouraging hygiene for children and their families.
Psychosocial activities were set up for 500 children traumatised by the loss of relatives and homes.
Nutrition - Tdh and its partners Kusi Warma work in villages to help mothers exchange experiences on feeding and get advice from other women who have been trained in health and nutrition.