Theodora Foundation

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Logo of the Theodora Foundation

The Theodora Foundation (officially French : Fondation Théodora) was founded in 1993 by the brothers André and Jan Poulie in memory of their mother Théodora. The foundation is based in Lonay VD .

The Theodora Foundation aims to cheer up the everyday life of children in hospitals and specialized institutions through joy and laughter. To this end, the foundation organizes and finances weekly visits by professional artists - the dream doctors.

In addition to Switzerland, the Theodora Foundation is also active in France, England, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Belarus and Hong Kong.

history

At a young age, André Poulie spent several months in hospital after an accident. The regular encouraging visits from his mother Théodora brought him a lot of joy and a change from the dreary everyday hospital routine. With this vision and in memory of their late mother, André and his brother Jan Poulie founded the Theodora Foundation in 1993.

purpose

The Theodora Foundation aims to cheer up the everyday life of children in hospitals and specialized institutions through joy and laughter.

To this end, the foundation organizes and finances weekly visits by professional artists - the dream doctors (colloquially also known as hospital clowns ) - to hospitals and institutions for children with disabilities.

Dream doctor

The term “dream doctor” is derived from the French term “Docteur Rêves”, which was created when the foundation was founded. It implies the subtle, poetic approach the artists take when they visit the little patients.

Each dream doctor of the Theodora Foundation has specific expertise in the fields of acting, music and / or magic. The dream doctors are trained by the Theodora Foundation for two years to work in the hospital. The basic training is continuously supplemented by compulsory further training in the fields of medicine and psychology so that the quality of the visits can be guaranteed. The foundation works with specialists and with the «La Source» health school in Lausanne.

Programs

The foundation offers five different programs, tailored to the different needs of children:

  1. Dream doctors: a program for children in the hospital
  2. Operation support : Support for children before and after surgical interventions in the hospital
  3. Mr and Mrs Dream: a program for children with disabilities in specialized institutions
  4. Small orchestra of the senses: a musical and interactive animation for children with disabilities in specialized institutions
  5. The little champs: a program for children and adolescents who are overweight, in cooperation with the Association for Obesity in Children and Adolescents (AKJ)

In all programs, the artists put the children at the center of attention through creative and mostly improvised interactions. This enables the children to escape the sometimes monotonous and sometimes stressful atmosphere for a moment and to regain access to their own childlike world of colors, music, magic and fun.

During their visits, the artists remain playful and do not act as therapists.

The foundation and the artists act according to a defined ethical charter and code of conduct.

effect

The Theodora Foundation has developed rapidly since it was established at Lausanne University Hospital . Today the foundation organizes and finances weekly visits by 70 dream doctors in 34 hospitals and 26 specialized institutions for children with disabilities in Switzerland. Every year, the dream doctors give magical moments of variety to around 100,000 children's visits.

Outside Switzerland, the foundation is represented in France ( Association Théodora ), Great Britain ( Theodora Children's Charity ), Italy ( Fondazione Theodora Onlus ), Spain ( Fundación Theodora ), Turkey ( Theodora Sevgi Doktorlari ), Belarus and China ( Theodora Foundation , Hong Kong) . All foundations operate according to the philosophy of the parent foundation in Switzerland and are largely financially independent.

The Theodora Foundation is a founding member of the European Federation of Hospital Clown Organizations (EFHCO).

financing

The Theodora Foundation is recognized as a non-profit organization. It does not ask for any financial support from the hospitals and does not receive any government subsidies. The financing of the regular artist visits is based entirely on the support of donors and partners. Partners from the private sector make it possible to cover administrative costs so that the donations can flow directly into visits to children.

The foundation's finances are audited annually by the PricewaterhouseCoopers trust company . The foundation is subject to the foundation supervisory body of the canton of Vaud.

Awards

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  • 2015 Melvin Jones Fellowship for André Poulie ( Lions Club international)
  • 2011 Grand Prize for Innovative Initiatives in the Field of Health (Spain)
  • 2007 Doron Prize (Switzerland)
  • 2006 Adele Duttweiler Prize (Switzerland)
  • 2006 Certificado de Evaluación de los principios de transparencia y buenas prácticas de las ONG (Spain)
  • 2004 Grande Cause Nationale Fraternité (France)
  • 2003 The Guardian Charity Award (Great Britain)

Press review

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Entry of "Fondation Théodora" in the commercial register of the canton of Vaud
  2. ^ Theodora Foundation Switzerland. Theodora Foundation, accessed December 30, 2013 .
  3. ↑ Annual accounts 2016 . (PDF; 2.4 MB)