Together, the impossible becomes possible.
Sesobel - About Us - The founder
ABOUT US/
THE FOUNDER
Our History | The founder | Our Mission | Our Creed | Our beneficiaries | The people in charge | Our Partners | Find us |
Yvonne Chami
In 1975, at the very beginning of the 20 year Lebanese civil war, Yvonne Chami returned to Beirut after spending six years as a nurse in Vietnam working in very difficult conditions
She accepted a position in the pediatric section of a hospital in Beirut and discovered a disturbing reality. Children were faced with disabilities that could have been prevented, their families were without support and were falling apart, and the country with its lack of resources was unable to provide a proper response to this serious situation. The raging crisis of war compounded issues of priority, produced a lack of assistance and offered little hope for children with disability and their families.
Yvonne then envisioned and brought to life the dream of: “Supporting children with disability, from birth until death, thus allowing them to lead a life of dignity, which in turn would bear witness and carry the message to others.”
- A nurse, midwife and social worker of Lebanese nationality.
- In 1976, SESOBEL was founded to serve children with disability and their families in Lebanon.
- In 1992, Anta-Akhi (You are My Brother) was founded to care for the persons with disability as they age.
- In 2000, she founded “Handicap et Vie en Eglise” to guarantee the acceptance of the persons with disability in the life of the church.
- Recipient of the "Mme Figaro" prize in 1993.