What exactly is Terre des hommes (Tdh)?

Founded in 1960 by Edmond Kaiser Terre des hommes provides assistance to children in distress, and this with no political, racial or religious bias. The foundation has two vocations: The realization of concrete projects giving direct assistance to needy children and acting as ambassador by promoting children’s rights or denouncing their violation.

Most projects have a long-term vision, and their beneficiaries are given constant support until they are completely autonomous. However, Terre des hommes also intervenes whenever emergency action is necessary.

With a budget of more than CHF 30 millions per year Terre des hommes is Switzerland’s largest humanitarian organization giving assistance to children. Almost two-thirds of its funds are provided by the general public

SWISS FOUNDATION OF TDH
ACTIONS
STRUCTURE
PRINCIPLES AND VALUES

 

Terre des hommes in Nepal

The Swiss Foundation of Terre des hommes first commenced work in Nepal in 1985 with a rehabilitation program to treat poor children with physical disabilities.

In 1992 Terre des hommes (Tdh) handed over the program to the local partner ‘Friends of Disabled (FOD), a Nepali Non-Government Organization, which established the “Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children” (HRDC) in 1993. In 1997 the project established a new hospital complex in Banepa, 25 km east of Kathmandu as the leading referral hospital in Nepal for children with disability. The center serves children from all over the country, and beyond, carrying out orthopedic surgery to more than 15,000 children up to now, and reaching more than 28 districts in Nepal with professional fieldworkers and mobile camps in remote rural areas.

Over the years Terre des hommes (Tdh) was active in the field of juvenile justice by providing legal aid and psycho-social support for women prisoners, rehabilitation of dependant children in jail, and advocacy. A local partner implemented the project.

Nowadays Terre des hommes (Tdh) is also working with local partner NGOs to implement community based nutrition projects due to the fact that more then 50 per cent of all Nepali children are malnourished.

A new project in the field of child trafficking has been launched in December 2003.