The 16th of April was a happy event for Maison Chance. A ceremony took place to inaugurate the primary school of the Maison Chance Social Center in Đắk Nông. Though not all construction work is completed by now, the opening is important to get the 120 young beneficiaries to school as soon as possible.
This joyful moment was shared with Laeticia Hallyday and her two daughters who were present for the event. Welcomed by Tim Aline Rebeaud, the founder of Maison Chance, they stayed two days in Đắk Nông. Three years ago, Laeticia Hallyday laid the cornerstone of the school. Her association «La Bonne Étoile», founded together with Hélène Darroze in 2012, raised the money to finance the school.
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Laeticia Hallyday and her daughters visited the Social Center and spent time in each class. At the beginning of the afternoon, everybody gathered under the big marquee in the middle of the school yard. A teacher took the role of the Master of Ceremony. Tim reminded the attendances of how this project started and thanked all the stakeholders and supporters of the project. Laeticia gave an emotional speech in which she remembered her deceased husband who had supported her from the beginning and also thanked the donors for their contribution. The end of the cheerful event was made by the children wearing traditional costumes and performing different ethnical minorities dances.
The Social Center in Đắk Nông welcomed 120 children since the beginning of the school year in September 2018 and it will soon have 250 beneficiaries when all construction work is finished. Among these 120 children, about 15 are with physical or mental disabilities. These children profit from special daily healthcare sessions such as physiotherapy, horse therapy and special needs classes. Because their villages are quite far from the center and secluded, they stay during weekdays in dormintories. The Maison Chance bus brings them to their families every weekend and on holidays.
Text: Éléonore