Please allow me, with some delay to wish you a Happy New Year; a year with good health, filled with light and good luck and all your undertakings ending up in success. I apologise that this Newsletter comes to you with delay. I had a very eventful time and didn’t get any time to write to you. First it was Christmas time, which this year I spent in Switzerland with my family and our young granddaughter Lea. Just before that my book “What was, What is, What counts”, which I wrote about my somehow irregular life, was published. My own book - how many times I doubted - if it will ever end up being a reality. In January I was on a reading tour with my publisher, which took us to eight Swiss cities. So it was like a round-tour through beautiful Switzerland. To be quite honest: at the beginning I didn’t want to participate, as I was scared of so much luxury - but looking back I must confess that I never met so many friendly, caring people and had an excellent time. This trip was for me like a convalesce and I could charge my battery to the limit. Someone once told me that: “Before you can rescue someone from drowning, you must be able to swim yourself”. So, you have to look after yourself.

I am extremely happy being able to write this Newsletter in place of Lotti Latrous. My name is Valérie Keller; for the last 13 years I have been working as Head of the Office of the Foundation Lotti Latrous. This summer I spent 3 weeks at my own expense at the Center of Hope at Grand Bassam and am allowed to report to you about the wonderful time I spent there.

Dear Sponsors

While I am writing this, the cold wind is taking away the feeling of spring. I know this as for the time being, I am in Switzerland; a country where the government is well disposed to its citizens. A country where the infrastructure function and in various fields the technology makes life easier; may it be for the running water and toilets. Hopefully these makes it possible for all to live a good, healthy and long life.