Léman hope is a project of the Chiki Foundation that helps young people rebuilding their lives after cancer through sailing.

In Switzerland, every year, 350 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer. Once treatment ends, going back to “normal" life isn’t possible. The long term affects of cancer on physical, emotional, social, and mental wellbeing is huge. The feeling of being different and alone is too often a reality.

Léman hope wants to encourage and inspire those young people to help them rebuild self-confidence, through a 5-day and 4-night sailing trip on Lake Geneva. It is a life adventure where young people connect with others who have also experienced cancer, participate in life onboard and realise what they are capable of (socially and physically), learn new things, support each other and get away from home for a few days in a safe and caring atmosphere accompanied by an experience skipper and a monitor.

Priscille Varillon de Macías, Directrice de projet Léman hope, explains, "We started in 2020 with 2 boats and 8 young people from the French part of Switzerland; in 2021 we welcomed 24 young people; we then doubled the places in 2022 and organised, for the first time, some German-speaking boat crews for Swiss German youngsters. In 2023, we will have 64 young people coming from the French, German, and maybe even the Italian part of Switzerland!"