At Fair Future Foundation, we are dedicated to delivering essential healthcare, clean water, and nutritious food to those most in need. In Ultra-Rural Areas, we are aggressively combatting the resurgence of polio and endemic malaria and ensuring children's health through our Primary Medical Care and Water Connections programs. Our unwavering commitment drives us to create lasting change, with 93% of our funds directly invested in these crucial initiatives. Together, we are steadfastly building a healthier future.
A Personal Message from Alex: 15 Years of Dedication and Impact.
Alex Wettstein reflects on the challenges, successes, and ongoing mission of the Fair Future Foundation, sharing heartfelt insights from his journey to improve lives in the world’s most vulnerable communities.
The Primary Health Care program provides essential emergency medical assistance, including treatment of venomous snake bites and stabilization of wounds. This photo shows Alex treating a snake bite on a young man’s foot. Our rapid response allowed the young man to receive prompt medical care and medication, saving his life. He is currently recovering well.
Hello everyone, this is Alex. How are you?
Over the past 15 years, I have dedicated my life to helping others through Fair Future. During this long but rewarding period of my life, I have worked tirelessly to help those in greatest need by creating health centers, schools, pharmacies, primary care centers, sanitation facilities, and clean water sources where they were previously lacking. I feel grateful, but also very aware of the great responsibility that we all bear at Fair Future.
We have had (and continue to have) a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of lives, highlighting how essential our work is every day. As I write these words, my socio-medical teams and I are at work helping communities that are often neglected or forgotten by others, by the system, and by the authorities as well. Our primary goal is to provide social, educational, emotional, structural, and of course medical support to all those who would not have access without us.
Recently, my wife Ayu and I, in our work, had the honor of receiving the Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary International. This recognition is not only a lesson in humility, but it also encourages us to continue our important work of helping those in need.
Our Water Connections programs continue to change lives, particularly in the Laindatang region, where our ongoing drilling efforts have now reached their sixth month. This is undoubtedly my most challenging task to date, both physically and emotionally. The most complicated thing in my life… The responsibility of providing clean water to hundreds of families rests heavily on my shoulders, but I do not give up; I continue this fight here in Laindatang.
Our daily reality is the battle against infectious diseases linked to unsafe water, unhealthy food, and poor living habits. Although malaria weakens me, I refuse to let it defeat me. Every day, I fight relentlessly for myself and for others. Our Zero Malaria program saves lives, one house at a time, one person after another, through its innovative and proactive techniques, protecting entire families from this devastating disease.
The resurgence of polio—a disease we thought we had eradicated—deeply troubles me personally. Facing children as young as three years old who can no longer use their limbs and crawl—it truly affects me, believe me. In these remote areas, countless children are affected by the Poliovirus due to the lack of vaccination and healthcare access. Their dramatic situation constantly pushes me to reflect on what more we can do with our limited resources.
Since its launch two years ago, the Primary Medical Care program has treated an impressive number of patients. It is undoubtedly much more than a lifeline for countless people who have no medical resources where they live. This program allows us to provide first aid in cases of injuries or illnesses in regions without medical care. I am very proud of all our achievements so far. However, the needs remain significant, and there is still a lot of work to be done; we still have a long way to go, particularly in ensuring medication coverage for the next 12 months, clearly, we need a lot.
After three months of repairs and upgrades, our medical truck, known as the Truck of Life, is ready to (re)take the road with a fridge inside to store vaccines, medications, and other rapid tests, as well as a portable USG unit to check, among other things, the pregnancies of women, especially those affected by infectious diseases, including Malaria. We are also delighted to announce a new addition to the family of “two or four wheels”: A sturdy used vehicle—a small truck—which as soon as possible will be dedicated to construction projects and drilling. Witnessing these achievements fills me with feelings of satisfaction and optimism.
The collaboration with Rotary International is of paramount importance, particularly in the areas of clean water access and infectious disease control. Their support and their short, medium, and long-term vision are invaluable to all of us here and significantly contribute to the achievement of our goals. Moreover, they are now family members, friends, and true working partners too.
Our five-ton drill rig, received through a private donation three years ago, continues to operate reliably. With each meter of land drilled, it provides clean water and concrete actions to thousands of people, transforming lives and representing a step towards a future where clean water is a fundamental right for all. It is currently being used for the drilling in Laindatang, where we have been working for six months…
As part of all our programs, our Swiss organization is also working on initiatives focused on nutrition, hygiene, and protection against diseases caused by excessive consumption of tobacco, alcohol, or junk food. We are actively conducting several awareness campaigns that effectively mobilize thousands of people and lead to an overall improvement in living conditions in the regions we serve. See the posters here.
Despite all these successes, all these achievements that “I am told, really stand out… ”, I am often overwhelmed by apprehension and uncertainty. The demands are immense, making it difficult to accomplish everything. Nevertheless, I remain convinced of the importance of avoiding hasty expansion while adhering to our simplest and truest principles and goals: – Taking human actions in favor of humanity…
As Élisa pointed out during our General Assembly last week, we can be proud that 93% of the funds we receive are actually used for our field projects, as confirmed by the latest financial audit. This level of commitment is rare and perhaps unique in the world of NGOs.
In short, this means that if you make a donation of CHF 100,-, CHF 93,- will go directly to the purchase of medications, medical equipment, school supplies, or construction materials, for example; none will be used for salaries (because there are none), and only the bare minimum will be spent on the Foundation’s administrative expenses. This is what distinguishes Fair Future, along with the fact that it is “we, the Swiss” who are 24/7 on the ground, us and no one else. A true Swiss NGO!
Regarding administrative expenses, obtaining the Zewo certification would be a plus for us after more than 15 years. So, receiving it this year would be a wonderful anniversary gift for the Foundation, wouldn’t it? Zewo is a prestigious Swiss label that we now hope to obtain and on which our Foundation Board wants to start working quickly. If you want to help us, then get in touch. In any case, we will keep you informed of the progress of this process.
I am not sure how much longer we can maintain this somewhat crazy work pace, but I commit, in any case, to putting my energy, all my heart, all my love, and all my passion into it.
I wish you all a beautiful day – The 14.08.2024, Alex
