History
In 2003, a TV invited AIC France to present its main activities. Among the volunteers present on the set, there was a young Moroccan women S. and her "teacher". She said that, thanks to the courses she had had for one year with AIC-France, she was now able to speak directly to the doctor when her child was ill.
How proud she is to be directly responsible for her child !
How proud is her child to see she doesn't need translator anymore !
How proud we were to see such a success

Situation
Social services informed us about the situation of young women recently settled in France, very isolated : they didn't speak French, they didn't dare getting out from home, and they couldn't have literacy courses because they had no one to take care of their young children.

Answer
We had to organize literacy courses for women in the afternoon, and a day care center for children who were not sent to school.

Target public
Young foreign women coming from varied geographical origin : Africa, Asia, Latin America …, having very different training level, and understanding a little French but being unable to read or write it.

Description of the project
- To organize 3 times a week, during school year, courses for groups of about 15 women
- To take care of the children not sent to school and being under their mothers' responsibility
- To find premises including at least 2 rooms
- To train the volunteers wanting to become "teachers"
- To work in partnership with the social services who propose the project to the women and regularly ensure a training about social life and family economy

Positive results of the project
Of course, women learn French, and this contribute to make them self-sufficient, but it is very important for them too, to meet in groups, to make friends with the volunteers or other beneficiaries, and finally, to get a positive image of themselves.

A real group dynamics is created, which favors knowledge exchange. At their request, we organize with them cultural outings, because they want to discover French culture and help their children to understand it. A partnership is set up between themselves : the most advanced helping those who understand less, and with them : as they inform us about the topics they would like to be treated.

On the other hand, children learn how to separate from their mothers smoothly and vice versa, their entrance to the day care center preparing them to school; and often, it is the only place where children hear French spoken.

Couldn't we speak of relationship as equals between the volunteers and their pupils, all of them being women concerned with the education of their children ?

June 2005