"22, rue des Ecluses-Saint-Martin". When he talks about his now ancient existence, Hervé sets out this address where he had pitched his tent canvas, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, for "very exactly 33 months". Since this Tuesday, the fifties has a roof, a bed, a shower, in a small hotel in the Jaurès district (19th century), whose address he prefers to hide this time.
Deprived of retirement for an administrative error
It all started when a group of young people from 15 to 25 years old, from Cergy (Val-d'Oise), who decided to help the homeless in the capital, get lost, during a raid… and fall on the former legionnaire, who became homeless and deprived of his retirement for a simple administrative error.
At 53, this father of two grown children of Belgian origin, seriously ill, is barely recovering from a stroke. A simple mistake in the spelling of his name, when he left the legion, deprived him of all resources and threw him on the sidewalks of the capital.
So Shaihin, Rania, Anissa, Yasmine, Marc, Willy, Christian and the others, decided to "accompany him in his care, and to open a Leechi kitty which will first serve to find him a roof": 7,500 euros were collected by the group of friends and allowed to shelter their protégé.
We just met Hervé during our marauding tonight (12/15/2019 at 10:40 p.m.) suffering from cancer. help in any way, we would be very happy 💪🏽 https://t.co/iiGn7j0wOn pic.twitter.com/az1r0GCCa0
- Shahin95 (@ shahin95c) December 15, 2019With his cane in his hand, sitting in his Spartan room, Hervé praises the solidarity of "so many people". “A lady from the neighborhood comes to bring me my meals every day, I received hundreds of invitation messages, clothes and even oysters, champagne and foie gras for Christmas Eve. "
"But, my tent canvas is there, with me," he hastens to add, pointing to the top of his closet. And she won't leave me. Besides, the people of Ecluses-Saint-Martin are always there for me: they come to see me, call me, supply me… ”
33 months of retirement arrears and an operation to start off on the right foot
Perhaps not quite the end of the hassle, but a glimmer on the horizon: “in February, the administrative error should be corrected and my rights restored: I am waiting 33 months of retirement arrears before I leave 'a good foot. And perhaps accommodation, but the 50-something prefers to remain discreet.
In the meantime, Hervé is preparing to undergo a heart operation on January 20, which will detain him 40 days in hospital, before he can start the new life, under a roof, which he calls for. "For now, I am still forced to beg for my daily purchases, but always with dignity," he concludes.
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Hervé uses “Entourage”, the app that helps the homeless
