Who we are
Our Founders
Monica Bissig-Gallegos
Born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, Monica has completed her higher-level school education in the US,...
Monica Bissig-Gallegos
Born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, Monica has completed her higher-level school education in the US, graduating from Providence College, Rhode Island. She has lived in Ecuador, the USA, the UK, Japan, and Australia, and currently resides in Switzerland with her husband and their 4 children. Monica has become increasingly involved with children's work over the past 10+ years. She was elected „Head of children's activities “ at the Harvard Business School, gathering to a student body of over 1'600 students and some 100 families. She has sponsored children in four continents, has initiated a child-to-child sponsorship program with SOS Children’s Villages in Ecuador, and is currently engaged in an educational initiative for children in Switzerland. Monica is co-founder and chairwoman of Help-for-Hope.
Stephan Bissig
Born and raised in Bellinzona, Switzerland, Stephan graduated with a Masters in Economics from Unive...
Stephan Bissig
Born and raised in Bellinzona, Switzerland, Stephan graduated with a Masters in Economics from University of Fribourg, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has lived in Argentina, the USA, the UK, Japan and Australia, and currently resides in Switzerland with his wife and their four children. Stephan's professional career includes international roles with Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Bain&Company, and Egon Zehnder International. He has worked with the Bridgespan Group in San Francisco (a Bain&Co. spin-off focusing on strategy consulting in the non-profit area), and has done pro-bono work with SOS-Children’s Villages in Bolivia. He joined Egon Zehnder International in 2001, and in 2007 has founded his own company Leader Growth LLC, active in executive search and executive coaching. Similar to his wife Monica, Stephan has been engaged in helping children for now over 10 years. He is co-founder and Board member of Help-for-Hope.
Jenö C. A. Staehelin
Born in Basel, Switzerland, Jenö graduated with a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Berne, and an...
Jenö C. A. Staehelin
Born in Basel, Switzerland, Jenö graduated with a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Berne, and an LL.M. degree from Harvard Law School. He was admitted to the “Bar” in Zurich, and has lived in Berne, Geneva, Stockholm, Paris, Munich, Tokyo, Boston and New York. Jenö has started his law career at a premier international law firm, before joining the Swiss diplomatic service. He was appointed Ambassador of European and North American Affairs, then Swiss Ambassador to the Vatican, and later Swiss Ambassador to Japan. As Permanent Observer ofSwitzerland to the United Nations in New York, he led the initiative for full membership of Switzerland in the UN, and became Switzerland's first Ambassador to the UN in 2002. In 2003 Jenö has been elected Chairman of the Board of UNICEF in New York, and in 2004 he became President of the Mine Action Support Group (MASG), a leading worldwide organisation against antihuman mines. He is an Advisory Board member to the Dean of the Harvard Law School, Board member at the "Académie Internationale pour la Paix", and has recently been elected Board member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Jenö is co-founder and Board member of Help-for-Hope.
Open Tabs
Welcome to Help for Hope
You have probably been confronted, in one way or another, with images of children in distress.
May be you have personally witnessed the struggle of a child for a better future, a future coloured with hope. If these experiences have awakened in you a desire to help, I encourage you to read on.
During my various diplomatic postings around the world, I’ve seen at work a range of approaches geared at improving conditions of distressed children. They ranged from governmental programs to privately funded initiatives, multilateral undertakings, and projects led by Non-Governmental Organizations. All of these constituencies play an essential role in their own right, and it is my experience that powerful examples come from concerted efforts among these different approaches.
I have also witnessed that the difference is often made by individual people, people with a strong personal commitment to a cause. Chances of success are highest where people have the skills, but also a personal stake in the success of a project, through family ties, cultural affiliation, defining moments in life, or other. All the more so when personal commitment meets with projects that are specific, with clear outcomes and well defined accountabilities. In essence, this is what Help-for-Hope stands for: strong personal commitment to children and donors, and clear measurable outcomes.
It is you and me who can make a difference. We can give children a chance to live their dreams, no matter where they are born. They are our future, they are our hope. I’d be delighted if we could share this journey together, and I invite you to explore Help-for-Hope’s website for more information.
Thank you for your interest in Help-for-Hope.
Yours,
Jenö C. A. Staehelin