Australia: Tim Snell
Home:
Armidale, NSW (Anaiwan)
Tim Snell’s interest in humanitarian action began early.
Growing up in rural New South Wales, he attended a small one-teacher school involved with the Red Cross, where children raised money through community efforts. And his mother’s example of generosity has remained with him: “She always put other people first,” he says. “She would say, ‘A cup of kindness costs nothing,’ and ‘There is always someone worse off.’”
Tim first noticed MSF in magazine ads, and then while completing his nursing degree he found out more. The commitment to providing care without bias closely reflects his own values. “To be able to help your fellow man, woman and child is wonderful,” he says.
His decision to include MSF in his Will was prompted by information he saw online and by the accessibility of leaving a gift. “It makes it available to basically anyone, because regardless of the amount, anything will help.” He hopes his gift will contribute to care for anyone in need of healthcare but who does not have easy access to it.
For Tim, MSF is “a very important and extremely worthwhile organisation” because it puts humanity first. He hopes to be remembered simply as someone who cared: “It doesn’t matter what race you are, what colour you are, what sex you are, what your sexuality is. We’re all humans, and we all have basic human rights.”
New Zealand: Josephine Gee
Home:
Auckland (Tāmaki Makaurau)
A former teacher who has worked in China, Egypt and Türkiye, Josephine Gee has been a supporter of MSF since 2020.
Josephine’s long working life and travels shaped her awareness of the urgent needs facing communities affected by conflict and crisis. “I have travelled extensively, often to places of great need, and have seen MSF in action,” she says.
After attending an MSF event in Auckland this year, Josephine confirmed a gift in her Will, extending her support for the organisation’s work into the future. While she has made provisions for other causes, she says MSF is her “main direction”.
Josephine admires MSF’s ability to deliver vital, efficient medical care where need is most acute, free from political or religious constraints. She values MSF’s independence and its base of public support, which enables teams to respond according to need – wherever patients are, and whoever they may be.
“It is a great satisfaction to be able to contribute to the work of MSF, if not through my working skills, then through a bequest,” Josephine says. “I hope it will be able to provide basic and essential care to people so much less privileged than I am.”
To learn more about our Gifts in Wills program, please visit msf.org.au/leave-a-legacy or contact our team at [email protected] or 02 8570 2611.