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 disabled children and their families.
Yvonne then envisioned and brought to life the dream of: “Supporting disabled children, 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.”
Yvonne Chami
A nurse, midwife and social worker of Lebanese nationality.
In 1976, SESOBEL was founded to serve disabled children and their families in Lebanon.
In 1992, Anta-Akhi (You are My Brother) was founded to care for the disabled as they age.
In 2000, she founded “Handicap et Vie en Eglise” to guarantee the acceptance of the disabled in the life of the church.
Recipient of the "Mme Figaro" prize in 1993.
Her Motto: “Together, the impossible becomes possible."
