Terre des hommes Lausanne

Rocco Rorandelli

Since its creation in 1960, when it was founded by Edmond Kaiser, the mission of Terre des hommes has been to defend the rights of children, in times of war or natural catastrophe, or in less publicized situations of distress. Over the last forty years, Terre des hommes has specialized in three areas of expertise: health, social care, and the rights of the child.

In Benin, Terre des homes Lausanne fights against trafficking, exploitation and maltreatment of children. In Cotonou, the capital city, the organization runs the Oasis Center, a cozy place where children victims of abuse are welcomed, protected and offered the necessary support to get back in the real world.

I met with Tdh Lausanne staff when in Burkina Faso, while covering the story of child exploitation in a stone quarry of Ouagadougou. In this barren scenario where lives have the value of a few buckets of granite stones, the Tdh people were a presence of joy for the many children working in the pit, and of reassurance for their parents, seeking for help and advises. I think this was the moment I decided to get in touch with them, which happened a few months later. Since then, I returned to Africa to photograph other invisible stories of exploitation, and the Tdh Lausanne personnel always supported my work. With them I was able to approach stories that needed trust and time to grow, thus clearly showing the importance that they had for the involved children and governmental institutions. Together we have organized slideshows to involve the subjects of my photo essays, at the end of the work, and the experience has always been fulfilling. The power of images if crucial for NGOs, and Tdh supports the work of photographers.

Rocco Rorandelli on behalf of Terre des hommes Lausanne