THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE MADAGASCAR TRIP IN OCTOBER 2019 HAVE SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH US:

I just loved it. It was such an amazing trip with amazing people; I would be ready to do it all over again.  

The first time we saw the children, it was as if we had known them already for so long, we were loved at the first look. 

Seeing all their nice smiles gave us so much happiness and love!

Thanks to the children, I won’t see the world the same anymore.

I remember the time we were at the beach with the children and running on an island in the middle of nowhere, we didn’t even know where it was and just didn’t have to worry about anything: this is the best feeling that you can have. I didn’t feel being on earth; I felt on another planet but literally with these beautiful landscapes and amazing moments that just give you a feeling which couldn’t even be put in words. It was so special!

The people who went to the trip were just friends or teachers at the beginning but after this trip, they became so important and we ended up becoming a true squad. When you think about the moments that we shared, moments that you could think that are awkward but it wasn’t awkward at all. Just amazing people that made this trip even better than it already was. And the teachers, that aren’t teachers for me anymore, they were the best that I could imagine, just having fun laughing with them, talking about how you feel – priceless values!

I could talk about this experience for hours and hours. Every time I think about or talk about, it just makes me extremely happy and at the same time sad. Once back to Switzerland, I wanted to return to Madagascar directly.

That’s why I’m already planning to go back after my graduation for the Maturité, that purely shows what kind of effect it has on you.

Anaïs K, grade 12

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In October 2019, I had the opportunity to go on a humanitarian trip to Madagascar, and quite frankly, it was the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced.

It’s incredible how quickly and effortlessly you can get attached to a place and its people. 

What touched me the most was the simplicity and the affection, I remember arriving to the Maison des Enfants for the first time, we had never seen the children before and neither had them, and the first thing they did wasn’t to question why we were there, instead they rushed up to us and gave us millions of hugs. It was so simple and loving, I never in my life felt so welcomed. 

I had the chance to spend twelve days there, working and helping the “Maison des Enfants” and the Champittet School. Not once I felt tired or sick of working because I knew I was doing a good thing and that the result of it would help and affect people in great need, and that is an extraordinary feeling. 

I would more than recommend going to Madagascar because it is a life-changing experience. Whether it’s from working, giving a hug, playing a game, giving high fives to the kids, every single thing you do will make them smile and knowing that you’re the cause of that smile is probably the most fulfilling feeling to have. 

Yet, it’s amazing how you go there thinking you’re the one who’s going to give and touch the children the most, but as a matter of fact, it’s the other way around because to this day, I still miss every single one of them and their smile.

Ginevra T, grade 12

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I planned on going to Madagascar to help disadvantaged kids at the “Maison des Enfants” of Father Stefano for a long time. This is what a group of Champittet student and I did in October 2019.

Before the trip, I prepared some posters for the kids there, and during the trip, I helped the children as much as I could. I gave them as much as possible and enjoyed their presence. I brought them some of my experience in life, played with them at the beach, helped to repair and clean the “Maison des Enfants”, and, of course, repainted a school that allows more than 200 students to have an education and to be able to read. Every night, we ate next to them and transmitted joy to each other. A memorable moment was the day we arrived because we could see that they loved us before we even met them and we took a wave of positivity from it.

I felt really proud of doing something that counts for the kids and being supportive to them.

We went there to teach them and to give them many things, but actually, the kids are the ones who taught me the most important lesson and this lesson is that whatever problem you are facing, you should stay happy.

The only real obstacle I felt that we had, is the meaningful fact that we had so many people donating for the trip that we could not take everything with us.

I would do it exactly the same way because it was the best experience of my life.

Thibault R, grade 13

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