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Eight women and four baskets: a roommate for young mothers in difficulty

2020-11-25T22:59:59.281Z


FIGARO DEMAIN - The Houses of Marthe and Marie welcome equally future mothers isolated by their pregnancy and young volunteers who support them.


They are called Charlotte, Alicia or Viviane *, are between 18 and 25 years old and their pregnancy has made them suddenly fall into the galley.

Whether they are in a delicate financial situation, rejected by their spouse or their parents who find them too young, they find themselves very alone with this growing baby that they have chosen to keep.

Sometimes even, young girls who had a normal life fall dramatically into the street because of this situation,”

explains Amélie Merle, director of the association Les Maisons de Marthe et Marie.

It is a midwife from Lyon, Aline Dard, who, faced with this type of situation, had the idea of ​​a shared apartment to welcome these young women and support them.

The principle is simple: eight young women live together in a large apartment.

Four of them are pregnant and welcomed by the association.

The other four are young volunteers, aged on average from 23 to 35 years old, well integrated, generally already in the working life, who have made the choice to share the daily life of these women and to support them morally, after having followed a training.

All pay the same fee, which is quite low (and generally covered by the APL), and are supervised by an employee of the association, who is responsible for the antenna.

The first Maison de Marthe et Marie, financed 100% by private donations, was created in Lyon in 2011. Others followed in Paris (two apartments), Nantes, Strasbourg and Lille.

Atmosphere at the Maison de Marthe et Marie de Lyon during a common meal.

Marthe and Marie

“For them, it's a real cocoon, in a difficult period when they need to prepare for this birth calmly,”

explains Amélie Merle.

Not only do they have a roof over their heads, while some no longer have a housing solution, but they are surrounded by volunteers, share their advice and experiences with mothers and help each other.

Bonds are forged, which last beyond experience, friendships that are sometimes even lasting over time

”.

Because once a week, each roommate organizes a dinner with all its members to discuss, in addition to informal meetings.

Events are regularly organized, such as sewing lessons, outings or weekends.

"

I particularly appreciated the family atmosphere, the support between mothers and volunteers, as well as the superb activities such as sewing or cooking"

, says Viviane, who has now left the Nantes roommate.

Viviane makes a pouch during sewing, as part of an animation.

@Baetens

Because the objective of the association is not to find them a definitive point of fall but to welcome them at the latest until the 1st birthday of their baby so that the arrival of the latter takes place in the best possible conditions. .

Then, it is up to them to stand on their own feet, thanks to the savings that the association will have enabled them to achieve.

In the meantime, the branch manager is there, if necessary, to help them coordinate their integration path, in connection with the maternity ward, the PMI, liberal midwives, childcare auxiliaries, social worker or for finding accommodation.

Read also: Discover the initiatives and actors of change on Figaro Demain

It is hardly surprising that the association is overwhelmed by demands.

In Paris, she receives 350 per year for two roommates, or eight places.

It must be said that it is the only association of this type, outside maternal centers, which only receive mothers-to-be from 7 months of pregnancy and whose waiting times are very long (often more than three month).

“I was very lucky to have a place right away.

I did things that I had never done in my life, like sledding ”

Alicia

Alicia considers that she has

"been very lucky"

.

Master student, in gap year, she lived in a very small studio and the dad, who was not stable, left her when she announced to him that she wanted to keep her baby while her family did not. did not understand.

“I came across a brochure at the maternity ward and - luck! - there was an imminent departure from the house in Lyon so I got a place right away.

I thought to myself: this is exactly what I need.

When I arrived in the roommate at six months pregnant, there was all the clothes ready for my baby in my room

, ”from

donations

.

His one-year stay was also rich in discoveries.

"

I did things that I had never done in my life, like sledding, a day of hiking and a weekend in the mountains with the girls from all the other roommates

."

Today, she obtained social housing, reconciled with her family and the father recognized his daughter, Imma, who recently went to nursery.

After a first professional experience which she did not like, she is preparing to launch her own line of solid shampoos.

Moms help each other after birth to keep their babies together.

The Houses of Marthe and Marie

Today the association is planning to open a new site in Paris, which requires a lot of work, in the very chic 6th arrondissement.

"We had an opportunity, we want to ensure mothers' safety in a quiet neighborhood and we must manage to attract volunteers not too far from an active employment pool

,

"

explains Amélie Merle.

The Maisons de Marthe et Marie also aim to settle in the south of France, in Bordeaux, Toulouse, and even Marseille.

Read also: Fight against dropping out of school, from early childhood, through SMS

So many investments that require resources.

Even if the association currently benefits from subsidies (up to 8% of its budget), these are lacking.

But thanks to La Nuit du Bien commun, whose association is the 2020 winner for the second year in a row, Les Maisons de Marthe et Marie, which have received 90,000 euros in donations, will be able to finance part of these projects.

The Night of the Common Good 2020, of which Figaro Demain is a partner for the fourth consecutive year, made it possible to raise during an online evening on Monday 23 November live from the Mogador Theater nearly 720,000 euros for the benefit of twelve associations selected by a jury.

*

Some first names have been changed

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-11-25

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