THE TEAM
Hélène Ros
Hélène Ros was born in January 1978 in Lyon, France.
She is the eldest of six children and the daughter of two political refugees who arrived in France in 1977 after fleeing the genocidal regime of Pol Pot.
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In possession of a general university degree in law from the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, she was forced to stop her studies during her third year when she wanted to move towards international law.
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After several little jobs, she discovered the world of logistics and the mechanism of international trade where she soon learned the profession of logistician "on the job" in different sectors such as the food industry, international removals and oil and gas.
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Working in logistics takes her to the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva in 2015, where she starts as an interim contract in the logistics department managing fleet vehicles for the field, then to private donations and finally to humanitarian diplomacy. She realized that there was no difference in managerial management between the private sector and a humanitarian institution.
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Her family and personal history led her to take an interest in the humanitarian world. First, her father's encounter with a surgeon from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) who advised him to immigrate to France for the delicate operation of a gunshot wound on his left arm. Then, Handicap International's actions in the fight against landmines marked her childhood with family members who continued to jump on landmines after her parents were refugees in France.
War trauma, never mentioned, can generate suffering and violence of the "unspoken" within a family, sometimes even over several generations. The children then become collateral damage of the post-traumatic stress disorders suffered by their elders.
The path to healing sometimes involves talking, listening or the simple feeling of being recognized and supported.
CoCreate Humanity wishes to take on this challenge as a community of peers and thus remain as close as possible to the very essence of humanitarian work, namely the human being themselves.
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“Human beings have the tremendous capacity to recover from anything, even the worst, if they are well supported.” Doctor Daniel Dufour, 2020.
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Lydie Béguelin
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Lydie Béguelin was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in March 1972.
At the age of 20, after completing her business studies, she spent a year discovering the American continent, mainly Latin America. This magnificent backpacking adventure has since then guided her life. When she returned, her desire to help suffering populations was obvious, and she wanted to join the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). To accomplish her dream, she had to wait until she was 25. She worked as an insurance claims manager, gave ski lessons and perfected her English at Cambridge.
During her 24 years with the ICRC, in addition to missions in Afghanistan, Congo Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of Congo and emergency deployments to Kyrgyzstan and Libya, she worked at Geneva headquarters in the legal department and for many years in the unit responsible for relations with arms bearers. Among other things, she organized the administrative and logistical management of workshops for senior officers about the respect of international humanitarian law and human rights. She had the opportunity to travel to Colombia, Algeria and Mexico to organize these international seminars.
She then worked as Director of a house for university students in Lausanne, whose vocation is to take into account the whole human being, supporting interactions between different cultural identities.
Since the creation of CoCreate Humanity in 2019, Lydie has always supported and encouraged the commitment of its founders. She finds it extraordinary and relevant that such an association has come into being in Switzerland. When returning from some difficult missions, Lydie would have hoped to receive a sympathetic ear in a neutral space, in order to exchange freely with a network of humanitarian peers. This would have enabled her to regain her equilibrium more quickly. In the field, like many of her peers, she was confronted with often dramatic situations, which were emotionally difficult to share with those around her back in Switzerland. This gap and a certain isolation are not easy to manage without adequate support.
Lydie joined the association in March 2024. She has always been committed to putting people at the center of her concerns, in line with her own values. So, it's only natural that she should be keen to co-create this humanity, convinced that teamwork is the essential driving force behind the association's initiative.
On a personal level, Lydie enjoys the mountains, practicing ski touring. She has been a race leader with the Swiss Alpine Club since 1997. She also enjoys bike racing and sailing.
"In this life, we can't do big things. We can only do small things with great love". Mother Teresa.
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Lisa Merzaghi
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Lisa Merzaghi was born in Ticino, an Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland, in 1988.
From a young age, she always showed a keen interest in medicine and contact with people, pushing her to first obtain an ASSC diploma, and then to train as a nurse. Her interest in solidarity and humanitarian aid appeared very early, during a special day at secondary school where the Italian association Emergency made a presentation, thus leading to her meeting with Gino Strada, who opened the doors to him. eyes on other realities.
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After her experience as a nurse in Switzerland and obtaining a diploma in tropical medicine, she embarked on a humanitarian experience with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and CUAMM Medici con l'Africa, for about ten years. From the Democratic Republic of Congo to Cameroon, from Sierra Leone to Chad, via Greece, Tanzania, South Sudan and even Iran, she has participated in different types of health-focused projects, including responses to epidemics (Ebola, measles and cholera), malnutrition, sexual violence, and many others.
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Accessibility and improvement of the healthcare system have always been a priority for Lisa. Back in Switzerland, she continues to work in this field within a health institution in northern Vaud. Always committed to the front of solidarity, she is involved in the integration of migrants in Switzerland and is part of the technical committee of the Fédération Vaudoise de Coopération (FEDEVACO) as a volunteer.
Outside of her work and volunteering, her passion for creativity is expressed through painting, knitting and sewing.
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Having lived through both wonderful and sometimes difficult experiences, and having been a peer support worker within Médecins Sans Frontières' Peer Support Network (PSN), Lisa realized the importance of peer support and her journey gives her a unique perspective on the needs of humanitarians. She has been convinced by the association's initiative since its creation and joined CCH in March 2024 with the desire to contribute to creating a strong support environment for all members of the humanitarian community.
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