The My Hero Project - Claire Lalanne

Claire Lalanne was only 24 years old when she received a grant from DÉFi jeunes to start a nutrition recovery center in a poverty-stricken village in Benin, a country in western Africa. Through this program, young people can present their ideas to be considered for funding.
Founded in 1987 by the French Ministry of Youth and Sports, DÉFi jeunes works to create, accompany, and support business and community initiatives by young people ages 15 to 28, in all areas of interest.
DÉFi jeunes promotes global educational development. It puts learning to work by placing young people at the center of their own projects from the conception and planning stages to realization and assessment.
Below is Lalanne's story.

Fondé en 1987 par le Ministère Jeunesse & Sports et animé depuis 1990 par un Groupement d'Intérêt Public, DÉFi jeunes a pour vocation de susciter, accompagner et soutenir les initiatives des jeunes de 15 à 28 ans dans tous les domaines.
DÉFi jeunes promeut une démarche éducative globale. Il met en oeuvre une pédagogie active qui place les jeunes au centre du projet en abordant chacune des étapes de la mise en action : émer gence, élaboration, réalisation, dévelopment et valorisation.

LIFESAVER HERO:
CLAIRE LALANNE

While she was working as a nurse on a humanitarian mission in Benin, Claire Lalanne became aware of serious malnutrition problems among the children of Krake (a small village in the bush). This discovery led her to build the Center for Nutritional Recovery, a dormitory for malnourished children and their mothers.

Located on a parcel of donated land, construction has now begun. The center has already welcomed one mother and her twin sons and eventually will boast a total of six rooms.

But Claire also wants families to gain self-reliance. The association authorizes micro-credit loans to those who wish to set up small businesses or establish farms which help them buy food for their children. The association has also acquired a parcel of land in Adjouhoune to grow crops and raise animals for sale, in order to make the center self-funding.

Lors d'un séjour au Bénin en qualité d'infirmière pour des missions humanitaires, Claire a identifié un problème de malnutrition infantile à Krake (petit village de brousse). Cela l'a amenée à construire un Centre de Récupération Nutritionnelle, sur un terrain mis à disposition.

C'est pourquoi Claire s'est lancée dans la construction d'un internat, qui permettrait d'accueillir les enfants avec leurs mères. La construction a commencé et le centre accueille déjà une maman avec ses deux jumeaux. A terme, 6 chambres sont prévues.

Mais Claire souhaite aussi que les familles acquièrent leur autonomie. L'association consent des prêts micro-crédit pour les personnes qui montent des petits commerces ou font de l'agriculture, et peuvent ainsi acheter de la nourriture pour les enfants. De plus, une autre association montée sur place a trouvé à Adjouhoune un terrain pour faire de l'agriculture et de l'élevage afin d'auto-financer le centre.

Photos courtesy of Défí Jeunes

RELATED LINKS
University of Pennsylvania's Benin Page

EXTRA INFORMATION
For more information about this program, write to:

Claire Lalanne
Les enfants du soleil France-Bénin
75, rue Mont de Marsan - 40310 Gabarret

France

More Featured Lifesaver Heroes


A Powerful Noise promotes the global empowerment of women	A Stranger helped a young girl who was lost in the city.	Alan Beavan will be remembered for his bravery on Sept. 11, 2001.	Albert Schweitzer had a 'reverence for life.'

Andrea Coleman has used her passion for motorcycling to transform healthcare delivery in rural parts of Africa.	Babak Darvish, MD inspires his patients and coworkers with his upbeat attitude and determination.	Balto led his dog team on the lifesaving 1925 serum run to Rome, Alaska	Ben Carson is the chief of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University Hospital.

Bernard Fantus created the world's first blood bank.	Bernard Kouchner is the co-founder of Doctors without Borders	Bill Wilson changed countless lives and livelihoods by founding Alcoholics Anonymous.	Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara believed in freedom and saved many Jews during WWII.

Claire Lalanne founded the Center for Nutritional Recovery.	Colonel Jack H. Jacobs His extraordinary heroism saved the lives of 14 people.	Dan Mazur sacrificed climbing to the summit of Mt. Everest to save another climber.	Dennis Smith Dennis Smith is an author and retired firefighter

Desmond T. Doss became a medic during WWII and saved many lives.	Doctor Steven Kopits was a compassionate physician who lives on in the hearts of his patients.	Don Cheadle and Darfur Now deliver a call to action to stop the genocide in the Sudan.	Dr. David Applebaum was a selfless emergency room doctor in Jerusalem

Dr. Ginger Holt saved Drew's leg when he was in the hospital.	Dr. J. Larry Brown directs the national Center on Hunger and Poverty.	Dr. Mark Jacobson works with AIDS patients in Tanzania.	Dr. Michael DeBakey is the father of modern open-heart surgery.

Dr. Paul Brand was a compassionate surgeon who pioneered work in leprosy.	Dr. Van Halbach is a hero to the Ghenender family for saving Ingrid's life.	Eddie Aikau loved the sea and often risked his life to save others	Edith Cavell was a nurse who risked her own safety to help others during WWI

Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female doctor and opened the first medical school for women.	Evelyn H. Lauder founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation	Fauzia Minallah is the founder of Funkor Childart Centre and an ARTIVIST.	Firefighters in New York City are the heroes of the day.

Fireworkers from Chernobyl bravely gave their lives to protect the safety of others during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.	Florence Ngobeni urges African leaders to work for AIDS prevention.	Florence Nightingale revolutionized nursing.	Frances Moore Lappe works to eliminate the injustices that cause hunger.

Fred Hollows was an Australian ophthalmologist committed to providing eye care to Aboriginal and poor people.	Fridtjof Nansen was a daring explorer, a freedom fighter, and a selfless humanitarian.	George Latham saved a girl from a burning car and is also a hero to his daughter.	Giorgio Perlasca saved the lives of thousands of Jews during WWII

Harriet Tubman organized the Underground Railroad and helped lead slaves to freedom.	Helene Gayle is one of the leading authorities on AIDS research.	Hermine Santrouschitz (Miep Gies) kept Anne Frank and her family safely hidden from the Nazis.	In My Name challenges all of us to take a stand to end poverty.

Irena Sendler helped Jewish children escape the Warsaw ghetto during the Holocaust.	Ivan Beltrami joined the resistance during WWII and saved many Jews.	Jody Williams is a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner who began a campaign to rid the world of landmines.	John Polivchuk was a firefighter who inspired others with his bravery, selflessness and optimism.

Jon Rose is a surfer dedicated to bringing clean drinking water to the world.	Judith Blair donated one of her kidneys to a man in desperate need.	Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is a hero to Rachel who was recently diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes.	Kurt Klein brought, among others, his future wife, Gerda, and Oskar Schindler, to safety.

Lillie Hitchcock-Coit was a turn of the century firefighting hero.	Liviu Librescu was a Virginia Tech teacher who sacrificed his life to save his students.	Maximilian Kolbe was a Catholic Saint known for his great humanity during WWII.	Michael Kelley beat all the odds as a paratrooper and police officer.

Mike Kelly risked his career as a surgeon to save Bob's life.	Mikey Ray Frasier is a lifesaver three times over.	Molly Pitcher was a Revolutionary War heroine who bravely carried water to soldiers on the battlefield.	Moses Zulu established Children's Town in Zambia to teach AIDS orphans life skills.

mpower harnesses the power of music to change youth attitudes about mental health.	Nathaniel Dunigan creates hope for Ugandan orphans with HIV/AIDS.	Nick Anderson and Ana Slavin challenge young people to get involved to help end the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.	Norman Borlaug saved billions of lives with his agricultural discoveries.

Olara Otunnu is devoted to saving the lives and futures of children in war-torn countries.	Olivia Harrison founded an organization to help abandoned children in Romania.	Oumoul Khary Sow founded the Caravan of Hope which travels to remote areas in Senegal to help prevent malaria.	Pat Pedraja and Driving for Donors is helping young and old cancer patients receive the life saving bone marrow treatments.

Paul Farmer has dedicated his life to treating people in the poorest nations in the world	Paul Rusesabagina saved the lives of more than 1200 Rwandans who took refuge in his hotel.	Princess Eliza Ella has been inspired by Eliza the hero in The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Anderson	Raoul Wallenberg saved thousands of lives during the Holocaust.

RAWA promotes women's rights through non-violent action.	Robert E. Kimura, M.D. is a hero to his niece in and out of the operating room.	Rudolph Giuliani , New York Mayor, was a compassionate leader following the World Trade Center attack.	Ryan Hreljac helps build wells for clean water in Africa.

Sompop Jantraka helps poor children in Thailand to avoid child prostitution and obtain an education.	To Write Love On Her Arms was founded to help people suffering from depression and substance abuse.	Tommie Hamaluba is a teacher in Botswana, Africa working to eradicate malaria.	Trisomy 18 Foundation raises awareness and supports research for cures for this genetic disorder.

Vilmos Farkas sacrificed his personal safety to save the lives of a couple of strangers.

Last changed on:5/25/2004 1:43:16 PM