Every day, 25,000 people die of starvation in the world – one child starves to death every 4 seconds !
In the face of such an appalling situation, we have decided – at our modest level - to help the most underprivileged children in developing countries.
This is a duty we all feel committed to, and which allows us to claim that starvation a round the world is not a fatality!
Enfants d’ailleurs – Children from elsewhere - is an independent, non-governmental, non religious association.
It was founded in April 2001 by Chantal and Jean-Louis Sigaud.

The association’s actions

Enfants d’ailleurs sets up individual patronages so that a small group of children among the poorest in Ethiopia and in Brazil can be fed, sent to school and can get medical care.

The children and their single-parent family are monitored and supported by local volunteers.


> See our actions

Running & financing

No running cost is debited from any donations.

In addition to donations and any support from the donors, the main financing consists in paying back the sales of books published by the Editions Enfants d’ailleurs. (The Editions Enfants d’ailleurs is an association subject to corporate taxation.)

To put it in an nutshell, patronages are not cut back by running costs, on the contrary they grow thanks to the self-financing publishing association.

Thus, when a donor gives 1 euro, 20 cents are added from the books’ sales. So, finally € 1.20 is given to the children.

> Becoming patron

Who are we ?

Chantal SIGAUD

Born in 1951. She is a mother of three children and a teacher of French literature. For many years, she has taught abroad in poor countries where she has been confronted with the needs of the most impoverished people.
In 2003, she decided to dedicate herself to humanitarian work.
In order to raise the funds necessary to finance her charitable work (charity), she started publishing books for the sole profit of "Enfants d'Ailleurs" Editions, the association she had founded with her husband in 2001.

Jean-Louis SIGAUD :

Born in 1946. He is an civil servant who has worked for nineteen years for the French Ministry of Forein Affairs in Indonesia, Algeria, Lebanon and Ethiopia.
He also took part in many actions for development assistance on a volunteer basis.
In 2001, he founded the humanitarian association :" Enfant d'Ailleurs" with his wife Chantal and worked as the administrator and the manager accountant of the charity.
He became the chairman of the “Enfants d'Ailleurs" Editions in 2005. He has received decorations for services to education from the French Ministry of Education.

Bruno GARNIER

Born in 1949. He is the vice-chairman of the association.
He teaches French literature and has worked mainly abroad.
His work consists in protecting human diversity and building bridges between people' cultures.

Evelyne LOMBARD

Born in 1951. She is a consultant and one of the founding members. She is also the manager of the editorial board.

Mélisande SIGAUD

Born in 1978. She graduated in political science before becoming an administrative civil servant.
She is a great traveller and the manager of public relations in the association.

Enfants d’ailleurs has chosen individual patronage

“Humanitarianism” is a word in vogue, and a big cheer for that fashion which must be perpetuated – while understanding it has nothing extraordinary since, beyond memberships or communities, we are the same branches of the same tree.

That word is rooted in “humus”, “humane”, “humility”, in short all that resembles the humanity.

The other one, that of township, favela or neighbourhood, is close, not only geographically in this airbus era but also emotionally and simply humanely.

In that word flows a perennial richness, which it can make us share, in another way…

The peculiarity of humanitarian aid is indeed to gather and connect people together as in a country bunch of delicate flowers – federating hearts and wills, acts of bravery and assistance from next door to the borders of the inhabited earth.

“Doing humanitarian work” may sometimes prove to be double-edged, by lack of discernment, firmness or transparency and by abuse of power, in the pernicious forms of some deviations –misuse or wasting of money, and in that case the expression “non-profit-making” is a false label, or unfinished projects which don’t come to destination and go astray.

“Being humanitarian” seems more engaged and respectful towards disadvantaged people, who have a name, an identity, a village, a culture.

Humanitarian, scientific, medical, economic concerns bring hope and well-being each day: mutual aid remains the panacea.
If we all help each other in a true sharing out, one morning the humanity will wake up as naturally humanitarian, for it will be the architect of its own miracle. Chantal Sigaud"

[ 03 novembre 2009 ]