Saturday, January 26, 2008

Tim Aline Rebeaud


This is the first post to help us inspire each other, and what better way than to write about Tim Aline Rebeaud? Although I have already told you about her on the phone, I want to write about her so that we can archive this collection of amazing people/events.

Tim, which is the Vietnamese word for "heart", was a world traveler. At the age of twenty, she landed in Vietnam. Upon her short stay (or what she thought at the time to be a short stay), she discovered an orphaned child crying in an alley. She took it upon herself to help this child, and since then, she never left foot of Vietnam! She started a shelter in Ho Chi Minh City called The Maison Chance, a place where orphans and the handicapped are welcome. Except, this place is unlike many other shelters of which we know. Tim recruits volunteers to help these orphans and handicaps to get back on their feet, by offering them English/French/skill lessons. They live together under one roof as a family. The amazing thing about Tim? She doesn't have a single drop of Vietnamese blood in her. She is a Swiss, who is now completely fluent in Vietnam! She has spent the last fifteen years of her life dedicating it to helping those others in need.

What an amazing lady, right?!

You can read more about her here or on her shelter webpage.

6 comments:

Shayni said...

This story is amazing in two ways. We see a young girl find a passion and a calling, and we see an entire community brought together and benefited by her efforts. I especially love the exchange of knowledge and skills, I believe it's the best way we can help improve each others' lives.

It's such an accomplished organization now, but imagine how scary it must have been for her to start it up! She didn't speak the language, and she probably didn't have a lot of funds, and I'm willing to bet she faced all sorts of opposition to her beliefs and good intentions. And yet she persevered, and at such a young age even. I'm outrageously impressed.

Unknown said...

She is an amazing woman, who sacrificed almost her life to help unlucky people. Vietnam is so lucky to have her.

BlueZen said...

I'm very impressed by the power of a brilliant hearty woman that is Tim Aline Rebeaud. She took care of the poorest people that are completely abandoned by the society. Sick, handicaped, orphans...
She is like mother Teresa, i wish she will successful in her remarkable charitable project, The Village of Hope/luck. She will be a legend in the history of Viet Nam. I wish she will be awarded a Nobel prize.

Patrick Nguyen in Montreal, Canada

Tommy said...

Ms. Rebeaud's story has inspired me to such great heights. I'm done talking about it—I'll be heading to VN this May to start the next chapter of my life in humanitarian work, a preface in which she took a part in writing.

Parijat Academy said...

I came to know Tim from a magazine name The Supreme Master Ching magazine published by The Supreme Master Ching International Association). There I read about Tim and her great work for the underprivileged children and youth in Vietnam. Iam very much impressed by her work.
She did lot of hard work and perseverance for poor children.

Uttam

parijatacademy.org

Unknown said...

Tim Aline Rebeaud's an inpiration. Nobel prize is just a matter of time. She practically creates a movement.