Dil Se Switzerland

We are a non-governmental organisation which started in 2000 near Lausanne and is run by:
  • Two coordinators who founded the organisation, Cristelle Hart and Marina Racine, who act as a link between India and Switzerland.
  • A committee of people who take decisions in collaboration with our Indian teams
  • About 200 members who support our actions
  • A network of volunteers
Since June 2008 we are members of the FEDEVACO    

 

Dil Se India

    We are an organisation and an Indian committee who, with Cristelle Hart (who lives in Kochi), manages:
  • a foster home for children
  • a family support network
  • an orphanage for HIV affected and infected children
"We believe that children's misery is not a fatality and that we, as world citizens, are able to have an active part in creating a fair childhood"    

 

Who are we and what are we doing?

In Kochi, Kerala, Dil Se started a home in 2001 where about ten to fifteen children live; they are either orphans or come from very poor families and are cared for by our local Indian team. Dil Se now owns a house, which provides stability and long term commitment to the children. A network to help the families started in 2002, which promotes the reintegration of some children into their families or the possibility of training for some parents or just a one-off help in a crisis. 
Following our extended help towards HIV affected village women around Madurai, Tamil Nadu, in 2007 we decided to build an orphanage for the children, victims of Aids. In 2008 the house is ready and so a very enthusiastic couple, themselves HIV+, become the substitute parents and start welcoming the children.

All Indian staff are people of the villages who know the social backgrounds of the children as they live in similar conditions. Through our financial and active aid, we guarantee material, food and pedagogical needs so that the children may live a healthy childhood and follow the path that is rightfully theirs.


Dil Se Worldwide - Since when?

In 2009, we decide to allocate part of our budget to “give a helping hand” and this not only in India. We support associations for one time projects or over a period of years. We require a Swiss contact who regularly visits the projects for direct follow-ups (Helping Hands so far in Haiti, Gambia, Guatemala) In 2010, we decide to create partnerships with two associations who at first were in our Helping Hands project: Women Foundation in Nepal and MEA in Sierra Leone.


Dil Se means "from the heart" in Hindi