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Big Brothers and Sisters

"..Give a man a fish and you feed his family for a day.
Teach him to fish and you will feed them for a lifetime."

A Big Sister for Villages of Cote d'Ivoire

THERESE HAURY

Therese Haury has been a stalwart in the Cote d'Ivoire, helping establish health clinics in local villages and obtaining medical equipment from sources in Europe and America. Her company Haury- Tours Voyages, has two agency offices, one of which is located in the lobby of the Inter-Continental Hotel Ivoire. Here is her story, told in her own words (translated from French). "My dream was to be a surgeon in Africa, but my family never accepted it, so I kept that dream in mind while traveling around the world. I arrived in Cote d'Ivoire in 1976. I reached my goal to live in Africa, however, it was not as a surgeon but as an insurance Agent. To realize my dream, I created a Women's club in Memni village, helping the Bush Community clinic, the colonies of leprosy with material donated by sources in France. Five villages, Loundou, Yohou, Cousso, Gnielle, Tchechanga adopted me. Every Tuesday since 1995, when the Village of Memni, 60 km from Abidjan adopted me, we've had meetings on managing the village and settling problems. Lately, some African friends said I was a white woman by mistake. If you learn to leave your European or American mindset behind, you'll discover a fabulous life here in Africa. The human warmth, a smile, and a simple 'bonjour' will open most avenues for you.

Cote d'Ivoire is a fabulous country , with its scenic diversity, ethnic groups and traditions: The West, with its masks, water- people, mountain and falls; the North, with traditional senoufous, poro and panther dance; The East, with its reserves and sacred monkeys; the Low Coast, with coconut palms and white sand beaches, Yamoussoukro's beautiful Basilica. I think it would be impossible for me to go back in Europe.

 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the nation's oldest and largest youth mentoring organization. Since 1904, caring adult volunteers have been helping millions of children reach their full potential and fulfill their dreams. Our programs in all 50 states match kids with mentors who provide meaningful friendships and share fun experiences. Learn more about how you can make a Big difference. Website: http://www.bbbsa.org/

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