Toutes à l'école

Tina Kieffer
president of the association

"I'm Editor in Chief for Marie Claire and I've spent 20 years of my professional life in the press. This makes me a privileged witness, but too often shocked by the cruel realities of the world. The day came when to share, reveal and condemn was no longer enough. I had to act, commit. I have always been very touched by the injustices suffered by so many women in so many countries across the world, and I am aware that a lack of knowledge, a lack of information is largely responsible. This is why I made the decision to turn to the education of women. In my eyes, this is the only way to make the world in the future a fairer and more human place. Whatsmore, I have five children one of whom is a beautiful little Cambodian orphan from an orphanage in Pnom Penh, and my love for children with my passion for Cambodia lead to my choice to open the first pilot school there."

Hoa Mai Nguon,
vice-president

"I'm Cambodian, and I studied at the Descartes School in Phnom Penh before leaving to study pharmacy with my husband at Lyon University. We were in Phnom Penh when the Khmer Rouge came to take everyone from the town. By hiding out in the French Embassy, me and my two daughters, then still babies, escaped. My husband and my parents were taken... I returned to Cambodia in 1996 hoping to try and find out what happened to them, maybe to find my husband alive.
Now, I know they are gone forever. I stayed and worked voluntarily for the Ministry of Health, I wanted to help my country to get back on its feet. Some friends and I set up a small association to provide teaching for the very poor children living around the Angkor temples. But, we could never do enough. With « Toutes à l'école » I feel like I'm part of an ambitious project, one that will give these underprivileged girls access in the future to some of the key jobs in the country."

Catherine Durand,
vice-president

"I'm the deputy Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire, and I first discovered Cambodia whilst reporting there in 1994. Since then, I have never lost my passion for Cambodia. In 2001, I went to Phnom Penh for a story on child prostitution with my husband who is a photographer. Destiny stepped in and we came across a young Khmer boy who we adopted. Cambodia has become our second home. To build schools is to do more than give an education; it's to give these young girls another future. It is to say no to missing out on childhood, or even worse - never reaching adulthood.

Géraldine Levasseur,
vice-president

"I'm 38 years old, a reporter for Zone Interdite, journalist for Marie Claire and mother of two. I have covered many stories exposing the plights of the most unfortunate. We are only able to come to terms with the suffering of others for so long, and then one day it's no longer possible. Stories aren't enough and we have to take individual action. So I decided to get involved with the education of young girls in the poorest countries, and particularly in Cambodia. These girls are vulnerable, they are weaker than boys and they are the first victims of poverty. To help them to learn seems to me to be the right path towards a better world, because these girls are the future."

Laure Hourtoulle, honorary member

Laure Saget Hourtoulle is a consultant in financial and institutional communication. She holds a diploma from l’Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris and a DEA in Public Law. Since leaving the Group Publicis where she was associate director she works as a freelance consultant. Laure consults for financial establishments, law firms as well as for manufacturing groups.
Among her more recent projects is her contribution to the book “Osons l’avenir” (dare to dream of the future) published by CEPS, with her article entitled “ méfaits du gigantisme dans l’univers hospitalier”. As the administrator for the NGO Holybaby, Laure has visited Cambodia several times a year for the last 10 years. She has guided the founding and running of the Zannier Group Foundation that provides financial support for humanitarian work for children. Laure is aware of what is at stake for Cambodia, particularly in the areas of culture and education and she was therefore a natural candidate to get involved with the work of « Toutes à l'école ».

Theany Tan, honorary member and general secretary of the national commission of Cambodia for UNESCO

Françoise Larroquette,
general secretary

Thirty years experience of senior management in the communication industry and a private life as mother of three means today, I am able to adhere to the wonderful commitment Tina Kieffer has made. It is with much pleasure that I accepted to help and support these unfortunate young girls, through the work of the association « Toutes à l'école » on their journey to become educated women free to choose their own destiny.

George Vicidomini
Trésorier de l’association

"As the head of my company (I created the swimwear brand DnuD), I have learned to manipulate figures and manage teams. But using my skills purely to succeed in business wasn't enough. I am first and foremost a father, and touched by the suffering of children and I wanted to invest some of my time in a useful and human project. The seriousness and relevance of the work of « Toutes à l'école » really convinced me, because I know that we are not only saving the children, but sewing seeds for the future and in this way, helping future generations.