Geneviève is one of the seamstresses of Mayenne gathered in a Facebook group who have voluntarily designed protections for caregivers, elderly and sick of the Covid-19. In Paris, Roxane Dumonteuil, 34, allowed the delivery of more than 1,000 savory and sweet treats to caregivers. In Bagneux (Hauts-de-Seine), Sofia Khelloqi has obtained supermarkets around them that they give her unsold products to distribute to families in need.
How many are anonymous and members of associations whose dedication, during these 55 days of confinement, allowed us to get out of it? At the time of deconfinement, this Monday, May 11, some of these volunteers testify.
Geneviève sewed 682 masks
For the past few days, Geneviève has left her old sewing machine at rest. But the scraps of fabric are still on his work table: childish patterns of Hulk, giraffes, owls. Gradients of pink, yellow, sky blue or green. Color masks to chase away his "dark ideas". Because Geneviève had low morale when the coronavirus settled in her life. So, at the call of a group of dressmakers from Mayenne, this 64-year-old retired secretary participated in the operation “Les Petits Masques solidaires 53”. In a month and a half, she sewed 682 masks distributed free of charge to relatives, caregivers, the elderly and the sick.
A titanic work to which she devoted all her days, sometimes her nights. “I couldn't see myself living locked up doing nothing during confinement, so I invested 200% for the others. At first, I felt isolated and then people saw me revive and said to me: What did it do you good. It was above all "doing good to others" that motivated this Laval resident. "I sent masks to relatives in Portugal, on the island of Reunion, in Limoges, in Lyon ..." lists the one who designed up to 110 in a day and a half at the rate of 500 m of wire consumed daily!
Not an easy task when you know that her sewing machine dates from ... 1972. "Despite some whims, she held up," says Geneviève. In her Facebook group, where the little hands were renamed the Little Fairies in solidarity, she felt like a bee in the heart of a hive. In one month, she and the 250 volunteer seamstresses who participated in the operation designed 12,000 masks. “A work in symbiosis which allowed me to meet beautiful people. "While this is a new era in our life which is starting, I hope that it will remind people that solidarity exists, that we must stay united, stick together," insists the young retiree.
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At the time of deconfinement, the little bee this time decided to take a breath. "The factory is closed," she slides with a smile, observing her neglected lawn and her garden shed that yearns for a paint job. “It is time that I take care of my home. But at least for a month and a half I worked for a good cause. "
Roxane, the gourmet commitment
Thursday, before 4 p.m., a ballet now regular since the start of confinement takes shape in the hall of the Montmartrois building in Roxane. One after the other, local residents come to deposit in a small bin at the entrance, sweet, savory cakes, and other delicacies. Little words on the packages thank the caregivers, and reveal some ingredients of the dish. Above all, the smell does not deceive anyone. As she is now used to, Roxane puts all the packages in order, always with a kind word for those who drop them off.
This afternoon, thanks to a volunteer driver, they will treat staff and residents of the Floralies - an Ehpad in Bagnolet with a Covid unit - but also of Mas Saint-Jean located in the 14th century, a nursing home for young disabled people, and emergencies of the Pitié-Salpêtrière.
At 34, Roxane, a freelance consultant in the art market, first a volunteer for the Vos Gâteaux association, became the head of the section of the 9th and 18th arrondissement. “We confined ourselves with my husband and my 9 month old son in our apartment in Montmartre, and my missions were suspended. So I had a little time to offer and I discovered the initiative, which I immediately liked, ”recalls the young woman, whose son learned to walk between two deliveries. With the help of the caretaker of her building, Patricia, she was able to organize the collection and distribution of more than 1,000 donations.
Surprised by the incredible mobilization of volunteers, Roxane will especially remember the smiles and thanks of the caregivers. "An obvious reward", for her. "I was able to become aware of their dismal working conditions and the pressure to which they were subjected", continues the young woman. During the next few weeks, the collections will dry up a bit, but not his commitment. "I hope we can continue to provide support to caregivers after the deconfinement and perhaps even help them make their voices heard," she hopes, with already in mind the next delivery, scheduled for Monday for the pediatric emergencies at Necker Hospital.
"Alone, we are nothing"
LOURDÈS FERNANDES, caretaker for 27 years
When we first met her, the coronavirus had barely arrived in France. But already Lourdès Fernandes, tireless guardian of the rue Gauthey in Paris (17th century), was organizing to help the first victims, including Stefano, an Italian resident confined to his building after a trip to his native country. Little by little, Lourdès added the beneficiaries to its list. "In total, with other volunteers from Voisins solidaires, we intervened for 16 people," she says.
Shopping at the supermarket, at the pharmacy, and sometimes financial aid, Lourdès, who has watched over the neighborhood for 27 years, has never hesitated over the plight of some. “One midday I received a call from a crying 68 year old lady, it made me hungry, I immediately went to help her, I filled her fridge with two big bags of food ", She testifies.
READ ALSO> How solidarity is organized between neighbors
If this Friday, the babysitter has the cheerful tone that everyone knows about her here, she comes back from afar. Three weeks ago, she started to experience the first symptoms of the coronavirus. "I felt weird, with headaches, and especially a great tiredness," she continues. To avoid contamination with its residents, she has been locked up for almost three weeks. A forced rest which does not prevent him from continuing to maintain the link with his residents, by telephone.
“The coronavirus has changed my job. For a badly disinfected button or door handle, there is a risk that someone will fall ill and ultimately it is our responsibility ”, underlines Lourdès, who will keep certain habits even when the virus is gone. “Nothing should be let go. And because alone, we are nothing, continue to keep in touch with those who need it. "
"A natural approach"
MICKAËL BARANES, taxi driver
"This is a normal gesture," says Mickaël Baranes. This taxi driver has organized the voluntary transport of nursing staff since the start of confinement. With his partner, in 2015 they founded a contract taxi service, specializing in medical transport. Being in solidarity with those he meets daily was for him "a natural process". "I organized a videoconference with my 32 drivers to ask them who was going and they all played the game, without exception," says Mickaël with pride. Since March 21, drivers have dropped off caregivers in the hospital in the morning and brought them home in the evening. "We even have a doctor who lives more than 50 km from work," he says.
A relationship of trust has been established between the drivers and the carers. “One day a caregiver forgot her things at home. To be able to take her post on time, she gave her keys to the driver who went to get them and brought her back, ”says Mickaël.
During this period, his company continued its activity: “We work with radiotherapy and chemotherapy centers, patients always need to move. He deplores the lack of protective equipment allocated to them. "We had dropper masks: 5 to 9 per week," says Mickaël, who took matters into his own hands. “I invested in antibacterial gels and I fitted all vehicles with wipes. I also gave a maximum of masks to the drivers and today they thank me for it. "
Thanks to him, the virus is better understood
Abdelaali El Badaoui proudly wears his “Banlieues Santé” logo jacket, named after the association he founded. "Officially, it has existed since 2018, unofficially, for 15 years," smiles this 37-year-old liberal nurse, living in Melun (Seine-et-Marne). Mobilized for a long time to "reduce medical inequalities", this former long-distance runner is even more so in this period of crisis during which he strengthens the support of the inhabitants of working-class districts, particularly in Ile-de-France. “The Covid affects the most fragile more. In the suburbs, there are all those who live in difficult conditions, single-parent families, the elderly who have hypertension, diabetes, etc. "
Sixth in a sibling group of seven children, born to parents who "can neither read nor write", Abdelaali El Badaoui knows that information is not accessible to all. He was confronted with it himself. When I was 7, when I was badly burned, I underwent operations and transplants. My parents at the hospital didn't understand everything. ” So, after the announcement of the confinement, he recorded prevention videos in different languages to explain the virus and the barrier gestures. "All of them are carried out with field health professionals," he insists. Romanian, dialectal Arabic, chaoui, farsi, peul, pashtun, urdu ... Abdelaali El Badaoui does not want to leave anyone without essential information.
New videos to explain the deconfinement will also be available this Monday. The challenge is also to identify “the inhabitants who are out of care, those who are not being followed. Another action during the confinement of this hyperactive, who even touched by the Covid-19 and bedridden, continued to work: the launch of the platform “# enmodeconfine.org” on which everyone can offer help or be helped. And there is also this Ulule kitty, always open, which displays 108,500 euros. These donations are used to finance food parcels. Today, between 1,000 and 1,500 packages per day are prepared, by an army of volunteers, in a gymnasium in Livry-Gargan (Seine-Saint-Denis). The mobilization continues.
"This virus has made things worse"
AGNÈS LAFOND, listening at SOS Amitié in Besançon
One ear, one voice. It is with these tools that Agnès Lafond, listening at SOS Amitié in Besançon (Doubs), helps to "ease the anxiety" of the people in distress who call her. "We are not caregivers, we are not there to give advice or directives, but during the whole time of the call, we are sincere friends, completely centered on them", specifies the pensioner who officiates for the association for 13 years. A recognized public utility association, whose primary, but not exclusive, objective is suicide prevention.
Like her, there are 1,600 volunteers spread all over the country to be that soothing voice and that ear ready to hear everything, day and night. SOS Amitié means 620,000 calls per year. One every 40 seconds on 0 972 394 050. During containment, these SOS increased by 30%! Agnes had prepared for it. "No, I'm not surprised. This situation is so staggering, unprecedented and very anxious for fragile people. The number one cause of appeals by far is loneliness. With confinement, anxiety is more important. Some suffer from not being able to go out, but others fear it. They are afraid of illness, of death, of this invisible danger that can be everywhere. This virus has made things worse, ”says the former child protection worker.
No advice, no agreement directives, but when some testify to domestic violence, for example? "We have a list of numbers we can call, but we don't make any calls. We don't know anything about the person we have on the other end of the line, in what region she lives, her number ... It's perfectly anonymous. The only number you can call, but always with the consent of the person, is 15. When you feel a passage to the suicidal act. She's the only one, ”says the 67-year-old woman.
Is the 3pm call the same as the 2am call? “No, not at all, decides the volunteer. The intensity is different at night. These are people who do not sleep. But we are there, 24 hours a day and we are the only ones there… with the police, firefighters and emergencies. However, when the latter are requested it is unfortunately unfortunately already too late.
"It takes a bit of nerve"
SOFIA KHELLOQI has set up a food distribution in Bagneux
It fell on him as evidence. For the past two weeks, Sofia Khelloqi has been distributing food supplies in her HLM residence in Bagneux (Hauts-de-Seine). The result of a "chain of solidarity" that this public relations consultant launched almost on a whim. "I am a parent of students and I have received calls from other parents," says Sofia Khelloqi, 40. Sometimes there were innuendo, especially at the end of the canteen ... This is where I told myself that something had to be done. "
So, the one who is also vice-president of her friendly tenants, gets active. "I called a first friend, I told her that I wanted to set up a solidarity initiative, then a second, who is the cashier at the Auchan corner ..." It is thanks to her that Sofia gets an appointment meet the manager of this Bagneux supermarket. "I explained to him that it was complicated for many families," continues this mother of two. He immediately understood, he told me that they too realized that their turnover was not there ... ”
The supermarket agrees to give them fruit, vegetables, yogurt ... The director also contacts the two Auchans from the neighboring town of Montrouge, who are dancing. "We also quickly got the agreement of the municipality," says the volunteer. In 72 hours, it was launched. It can go very quickly, it just takes a bit of nerve and people to listen. I want to thank them. Now, twice a week, a room in the Pablo-Picasso residence is transformed into a collection point. “At the beginning we distributed 30 bags, now it's 100. It leaves very quickly. Especially since the distribution is done without means test. "It is to relax," says Sofia Khelloqi. But the people who descend, as we can see, are those who are in need. These are families with children. "
The resident of Bagneux, who also juggles teleworking, sees herself continuing like this until the end of May before handing over the baton. Because the needs will always be there. "The coming months are going to be very hard," she predicts.
This chef cooked daily for the caregivers
Cooking is his passion. Preparing dishes and offering them to nursing staff in hospitals and nursing homes (nursing homes for the dependent elderly), but also to firefighters, Andréas Mavrommátis saw it as "a mission". Since the start of confinement, this Parisian chef, at the head of the only Michelin-starred Greek restaurant, has provided free meals for "those on the front line facing Covid-19".
"We had to close our restaurants on the evening of March 14, but we were fortunate to continue working with our stores, which were able to remain open for take-out food and deliveries," says Andréas Mavrommátis. Our central kitchen, located in Palaiseau in Essonne, therefore remained operational. I couldn't imagine doing nothing during this health crisis, not participating in this national solidarity movement. "
The first “mezze” (hummus, eggplant caviar, etc.) were offered almost timidly to the nursing staff of a Paris hospital. "Then word of mouth started," smiles Andréas Mavrommátis, supported and helped in this process by his teams and his brothers, Evagoras and Dionysos.
READ ALSO> From Palaiseau, Maison Mavrommátis provides 300 free meals every day to caregivers
Requests poured in from all over Ile-de-France, hospitals, retirement homes, etc. "We respond to all requests, we deliver to at least 5 establishments per week", continues Andréas Mavrommátis. Some days, 300 meals are offered.
“Giving pleasure is in the DNA of a cook, insists the chef. We give as much as we receive. To know that the time to enjoy a moussaka, for example, the doctors, nurses, nursing assistants and all the professionals who are fighting against the epidemic and who take so many risks, experience a little comfort, it is a happiness. "
And for the Mavrommátis house, reading the thank-you messages from the healthcare teams daily on social networks is received as an encouragement to continue. "It's very moving," concludes Andréas, who will remain behind the stove for as long as necessary.
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