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hen Ali was born in De- founded. In recognition of the doctors, on opposite sides in a conflict zone.
cember 2010, in Jericho, staff and young people who come from Working towards a better future
W with blue lips, fingers and all over the world to work as voluntee- through day-to-day tangible activities
toes, signs of congenital heart disease, rs, this year SACH will receive the is essential while leaders and politi-
his parents and doctor knew there Israeli Presidential Award for Voluntee- cians attempt to resolve conflicts in
was only one place where he would rism. This award is given each year politics and diplomacy. I believe this
receive the treatment he needed to to an individual or organization that paves the way for many more Israeli
save his life. Although separated by a embodies the spirit of volunteerism. and Palestinian organizations and
mere 130 kilometres, Jericho, in the it adds to the trustworthiness and
West Bank, and the Wolfson Medical SACH was founded in 1996 by Dr meaningfulness of the UN system."
Center, in Holon, Israel, are a world Amram Cohen, who immigrated to
apart. Yet only four days after he was Israel from the United States in 1992. As one of the few organizations that
born, Ali underwent surgery at Save He died in a tragic accident while clim- regularly brings Israelis and Palesti-
a Child's Heart (SACH), based at the bing Mount Kilimanjaro in August nians together, SACH plays a unique
Wolfson Medical Center. Two months 2001. SACH is an all-volunteer orga- role in the Middle East. In addition to
later, Ali was brought back to SACH to nization funded by donations from the children that come to SACH for
undergo another successful bout of surgery, the organiza-
surgery. What is so remarkable about tion holds a weekly clinic
this story is that it happens on a daily at the Wolfson Medical
basis thanks to the doctors, nurses Center where Palesti-
and staff at Save a Child's Heart. nian families bring their
children for screening.
The mission of SACH is to provide The close collaboration
free critical paediatric heart surgery between Israeli doctors
to children from developing countries and Palestinian doctors
who suffer from heart disease and and families allows the
to create centres of competence in organization to play a
these countries. SACH is dedicated constructive role in buil-
to the idea that every child deserves ding the potential for
the best medical treatment available, co-existence between
regardless of the child's nationality, the two peoples.
religion, colour, gender or financial
situation. During the ECOSOC
meeting, the Palesti-
Of the more than 2,800 children that nian delegation at the
SACH has saved, 49% come from UN was given the floor
the Palestinian Territories. This fact around the world. It costs approxi- to ask questions. According to Mr
exemplifies the motto of the organi- mately US$io,000 to bring a child to Fisher: "before asking the question,
zation: "Mending Hearts, Building Israel for surgery and post-op care. All the Palestinian representative chose
Bridges." Some 40% of the children the doctors and nurses who work with in his opening remarks to commend
who underwent cardiac surgeries SACH do so without compensation for SACH for what it is doing for Pales-
are from Africa, Jordan, Iraq and the public good in addition to their tinian children, particularly the ser-
Morocco; 4% are from Eastern Europe regular responsibilities. vices that it carries out in places where
and the Americas; and 7% are from governments cannot provide such
Asia. As part of the process, SACH also All of this follows the award of consul- services. After the session ended,
accepts medical personnel from the tative status to SACH by the ECOSOC I rushed to the podium in great exci-
patients' countries and trains them in Committee of the United Nations, tement to thank and shake the hand
life-saving paediatric cardiology and officially recognizing the life-saving of the Palestinian rep for his support.
follow-up care. Despite the hardships work performed by the organization We exchanged cards and remain in
it faces, SACH has a stunning success in the Middle East and around the contact ... Mending hearts, building
rate of 96%. world. The significance of this accom- bridges!"
plishment was captured by Simon
This past year has been a momen- Fisher, Executive Director of SACH: Simon Fisher shares with us his expe-
tous one for SACH. Ali, the newborn "I think it is very important as it rience at the UN ECOSOC Committee
from Jericho, was the 2,800th child sends a message of trust-building and as part of the application process for
saved by the organization since it was co-operation between people living consultative status.

26 Humanitaire
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