The assistance provided in Crans-Montana follows clear principles: it is assessed, limited and tailored to each individual case. Three specific cases illustrate how the Rotary Foundation Switzerland implements this support.
Disasters do not end with the event itself. They continue – in homes, in families, in sleepless nights, in decisions that suddenly have to be made under completely different circumstances. In Crans-Montana, too, the real test begins when the cameras leave and everyday life is supposed to return – but is no longer the same.
These weeks also show how aid actually works. Insurance companies and authorities assume responsibility, and rightly so. Yet no system operates without delay, and no set of rules can capture every individual situation in all its complexity. It is precisely during this transitional phase that situations arise in which targeted support can be crucial – not instead of existing services, but in addition to them. Rotary follows a clear principle in this regard: every form of assistance is case-specific, time-limited and based exclusively on concrete needs.
What this means is not reflected in statistics, but in the lives of individual people.
Case 1: A mother from western Switzerland loses her 16-year-old son that night. In addition to her grief, a second reality emerges, quiet but immediately effective: with his death, maintenance payments and family allowances amounting to 1,411 Swiss francs per month are no longer available. What remains is a family now consisting of the mother and her eight-year-old daughter.
The flat in which they live has been their home for sixteen years. This is where their son’s room is, where their daughter spends her days; the school is nearby and the routes are familiar. At a time when so much is uncertain, this place becomes a stable point of reference.
To ensure that this secure environment can be maintained, at least for the time being, the Rotary Foundation is providing temporary support totalling 5,600 Swiss francs, spread over four months. The contribution bridges the abrupt loss of income and helps ensure that the existing living situation can continue while other entitlements are examined.
Case 2: A volunteer firefighter from the region is on duty on the morning after the night of the disaster. For years he has been part of the local rescue service and is accustomed to taking responsibility when others are in need. Yet some experiences cannot simply be shaken off.
A few weeks later, symptoms appear: insomnia, nightmares, sleepwalking and increasing inner tension. Eventually, post-traumatic stress disorder is diagnosed. Psychotherapeutic treatment becomes necessary.
While responsibilities are clarified and administrative questions are examined, Rotary ensures that therapy can begin without delay. The costs are temporarily covered and settled directly with the treating specialist. This allows the focus to remain where it belongs: on stabilisation and the gradual processing of what has been experienced.
Case 3: After the disaster, a father finds himself alone in Switzerland with his two-year-old daughter, while the mother is hospitalised abroad. Alongside the worry about his partner, an immediate organisational question arises: childcare during his working hours.
The associated costs are considerable and are not fully covered by other providers. At the same time, employment is essential for maintaining stability – for himself and for the entire family.
Rotary covers the childcare costs for a limited period during this phase; invoices that have already been paid are reimbursed, while ongoing expenses are settled directly with the childcare facility. This gives the father the necessary freedom of action to combine his professional responsibilities with the care of his child.
Supplementary, limited, case-by-case
These examples represent a form of assistance that is deliberately applied with restraint. The Rotary Foundation Switzerland does not replace insurance providers and does not assume the responsibilities of the state. Support is provided in a complementary way: where existing benefits have not yet taken effect, are delayed, or where individual emergencies arise that are not fully covered by general regulations.
More than 150,000 Swiss francs have been collected since the disaster. Behind this figure lies concrete support in clearly defined situations. Every decision follows careful assessment, and every contribution is limited in time and earmarked for a specific purpose. Once a week, the crisis team meets to examine each individual case and determine where and in what form support is appropriate. This is precisely where the strength of the Rotary Foundation Switzerland lies: it acts where help is concretely needed – and exactly at the moment when it is required.
