Volunteer conveyors: essential links in the healing chain

In the light of dawn, before the rest of the world awakes, the first volunteer conveyors from La Maison de Terre des hommes Valais set off. Their mission: to accompany sick children to hospital for essential treatment, or to take a cured child to the airport for the journey home. Discover the testimonies of these men and women, whose remarkable dedication and benevolence contribute so significantly to offering hope and healing.

Conveyors, a job done with heart and soul

The conveyors play a crucial role in the smooth running of La Maison. They are essential links in the chain of solidarity that helps children recover.

Every day, they provide transport between La Maison, the health institutions and Geneva airport. ‘Some 200 volunteers take it in turns. In 2023, 152,000 km were covered for 848 transports, or 16 to 17 transports per week. That’s almost half the life of a conventional vehicle. It’s incredible! We’re very grateful to all the people who give up their time and make these journeys at their own expense. Their contribution makes a real difference to a child’s life,’ enthuses Zihret Hasanovic, Head of the Child Transfer Coordination and Monitoring Sector.

‘For the conveyors, there is immense personal satisfaction and a sense of fulfilment in helping in this way. They give a lot and often receive a lot in return from the children,’ he adds.

‘I have no regrets about daring to say “yes”’

On the eve of receiving his AVS pension and leaving his working life, Guy Lugon-Moulin went to La Maison de Terre des hommes Valais to offer his services as a handyman. ‘After working for 48 years in the construction industry, in the wood sector, I felt comfortable offering my skills in building maintenance’, he explains. But fate had other plans.

During this visit, Doris Mottiez greeted him kindly and offered him a job as a conveyor. ‘After some hesitation, I agreed to accompany experienced couriers on a few occasions,’ he says. It was a decision that changed his life.

Through his travels, he discovers a humanity that touches him deeply. ‘The resilience of these children, whose health is seriously impaired and who are unable to receive the appropriate care at home – even though they can be cured – really struck a chord with me,’ he says. ‘Suffering, having left their parents, their culture and their living environment, they offer us their most delightful smile. What better gift could there be?’

Guy has been sharing this adventure for two years now. ‘I’ve carried out just over 60 magnificent convoys, even if sometimes I have to wake up at 4 am,’ he adds. ‘Exceptionally, the returns are late, at 11 pm, when the child must be taken back to La Maison following a cancelled flight.’

He makes these journeys, mainly in Geneva, by car to the HUG, and by train to the airport. ‘Thanks to these trips, I’ve discovered that the people in hospitals are welcoming, caring and very attentive to the needs of patients,’ he adds. ‘But above all, I’ve realised that I’m filled with happiness when I accompany a cured child to the airport, and they go home smiling.’

Guy insists that he has the freedom to accept or reject the escorts offered. ‘There’s a great deal of respect between La Maison and the volunteers, and we talk and listen to each other. I have no regrets about daring to say ‘yes’.

He would like to thank everyone he has met for the humanity they radiate. ‘This chain of friendship helps us discover that life is worth living’. To conclude, he refers to the philosopher Jean D’Ormesson, quoting a passage that is dear to him: ‘Happiness is not a goal, still less a career or an obligation, but a gift, a surprise or the reward of those who do not spend their time cultivating it. Happiness is not a narcissistic, solitary exercise. It falls, as if by chance, on the heads and in the hearts of those who, far from looking after themselves, look after something else instead – and others.’

‘I feel like a link in a chain of solidarity’

Gilberte Abbet discovered the convoys for La Maison through her cousin. ‘Even though I was interested, it was hard for me to make up my mind, as I was still very busy with my children, the garden and housework. I’d always dreamt of helping others, of going to an underprivileged country and having a new experience’, she explains. She worked as a prison visitor and as a hospice worker at Notre-Dame de Lourdes, with the transport for La Maison always on the back burner.

‘In 2005, our eldest child went to the stars after an accident. It was very hard for me, and I told myself that it was time to get involved with La Maison so that I wouldn’t lose my footing’. So, she took the plunge, which brought her great comfort. Gilberte says she immediately felt very welcome and at ease: ‘Everyone is so nice! La Maison is a big family, and I feel like a link in a chain of solidarity. The children make me very happy.’

‘As time goes by, I realise that we often complain about very little’. The children of La Maison, who are fighting for their survival, are a lesson in life for her.

She is perfectly aware that the contribution of the volunteer conveyors is very important in reducing the costs of La Maison. So she’d like to say ‘Go for it’ to anyone who wants to get involved. She adds: ‘You won’t have any regrets. You’ll discover how kind and caring the staff are. And the children are real rays of sunshine, just waiting to get their teeth into life. We’re offering them precious, practical help!’

Behind the scenes of the convoys

The ‘journey towards life’ of the children staying at La Maison requires a very complex chain of humanity and skills. Terre des hommes Valais is one of these indispensable links, connected to other links that are just as indispensable and committed. The conveyors provide a wide range of transport services: taking the children to and from hospital, taking them to consultations with medical partners, or taking them to the airport.

Collaboration with hospitals and the airport

La Maison de Terre des hommes Valais enjoys excellent collaboration with the university hospitals of Geneva and Lausanne, the Lausanne Children’s Hospital, the Jules-Gonin Eye Hospital, the Riviera-Chablais Hospital, as well as with the Bois-Cerf and Cecil clinics of the Hirslanden Group, which are fully aware of how the institution operates. ‘Our partners are aware of our constraints and contact us in advance so that we can find a volunteer available for the transfer,’ explains Zihret, who is responsible for coordinating and monitoring child transfers at La Maison. ‘They are very flexible when it comes to organising transport. For example, if a child can be discharged at 1 pm and a conveyor is only available at 4 pm, the child can stay in hospital for a few hours longer.’

‘To simplify our organisation, our medical partners generally schedule hospital admissions and consultations at times that make transport easier. For example, a consultation at 10 am in Geneva or in the afternoon avoids the child having to get up too early and the volunteer having to spend a large part of the journey in traffic jams.’

The collaboration with Geneva airport is also excellent. When a child lands in Switzerland, he or she is accompanied by the Assistance Service from the plane to the airport infirmary for an initial medical check. Staff from La Maison’s Coordination Sector then take them to hospital, where they spend the first night under observation. From the following day onwards, the volunteer conveyors take the child to La Maison in Massongex, then to his or her operation or medical check-up, and finally to the airport for his or her return home, generally two months after arrival.

Transport planning: logistical and organisational aspects

All known transports are planned on Fridays for the following week. The need for a travel is triggered by a summons for hospitalization, a medical appointment, the arrival or departure of a child.

‘We contact the conveyors by telephone, considering where they live in relation to where the child is being picked up, their availability and their preferences. For example, some people prefer to be picked up very early in the morning to avoid the traffic,’ explains Doris Mottiez, from La Maison’s secretariat. ‘Our convoy management system allows us to take these parameters into account and call the right people. On the phone, we confirm the time of the appointment on site – at the hospital or airport – and we agree on the departure time for the conveyor. Whenever possible, we combine several transports, especially when a child is being discharged from hospital on the same day as another child is in hospital’.

During the actual transport, the volunteer conveyors receive a summary of important information, including the exact address of the appointment, useful documents such as the child’s medical certificate or passport, and a car seat adapted to the child’s age. ‘We do our best to make transport simple and pleasant, but changes in appointment times or other unforeseen events can happen. In these cases, we can generally count on the understanding and flexibility of the volunteers. For example, a child may not be ready at the scheduled time for discharge from hospital, or an extra outing may be requested at the last minute. If the conveyor agrees, he or she can take charge of the second child, making the journey more cost-effective and avoiding the need to call on another volunteer,’ concludes Zihret, who is responsible for coordinating and monitoring child transfers.

Our gratitude to the volunteer drivers is boundless. We offer them our deepest gratitude. Their contribution to the recovery of the children at La Maison is essential.

Interested in being a conveyor?
Please contact us on 024 471 26 84.