This Tuesday, August 26, the Prefect Cyrille Le Vély, chose Orleans district for a field visit. Objective: meet social actors and discover concretely the actions carried out by the association of Companion Builders (CB).

Established on the island since 2018 and based in Quartier d'Orléans since the end of 2019, the association's mission, among other things, is tosupport residents in precarious situations through housing rehabilitation or adaptation projects.

A third place that has become a crossroads for exchanges

The visit began at the premises of the third place of CBs, located at the Palmeraies residence. The director, Maé Bridier, presented this place which has become a crossroads of exchange, where one learns as much how to handle tools as how to cultivate self-confidence. With nearly 450 passages in the first half of 1, the third place attracts a diverse public, beyond just the residents of Quartier d'Orléans. Collective planters, furniture made from recycled materials, weekly workshops... The beneficiaries develop skills which they then apply at home. “On the one hand, there are the adaptation projects, which are very technical, and on the other, the creativity of the third place,” summarizes Hubert, CB facilitator.

Another local pride : the Bricobus, the only vehicle of the 52 in the national CB fleet with French and English logos. It will offer 14 traveling events between September and December, including at Sandy GroundA tool that allows us to reach out to residents and widely disseminate this “do it yourself” pedagogy.

Adapting housing to restore autonomy

The prefect then went to two construction sites emblematic. At Mr. Flanders's, victim of a stroke and now losing mobility, the team hired a adaptation site : walk-in shower, widened corridors, secure closures. A Occupational therapist, in agreement with the clinic Manioukani, validates the needs. Eight days of work, led by a technician accompanied by volunteers, at a cost of €4430. An example of this network of solidarity, expertise, and citizen participation.

Rebuild a roof, reinvent a daily life

A few streets further on, the construction site at Mr. Brown's, with no title or income, illustrates another reality. Without water or electricity, supported by the solidarity of his neighbors, he lives in precarious conditions. The association has undertaken to redo the framework, build a covered terrace which will optimize the space in the only living room and install a rainwater recovery tank. But the needs are numerous : basic equipment, solar fan, food, etc. This project, which is longer and more expensive (€5200), benefits from the support of the Symphorien Integration CenterMore lack of volunteers to move forward quickly. The Companions will finish cleaning and tidying Mr. Brown's home with their young volunteers at the end of this week.

A prefect attentive to social realities

Over the course of the visits, Cyrille Le Vély took stock of the essential role of CBs : “One visit is not enough. We meet people in great difficulty and it reminds us the need for an institutional system capable of providing concrete answersThe prefect emphasized his desire to promote what works, before judging the effectiveness of public action. “These moments nourish me. They remind me that the State must be represented in its most human dimension,” he confided.

Institutional recognition and continuity of support

This institutional immersion is a continuation of the visit led in July by Vice President Bernadette Davis.The elected official had already praised “the responsiveness, professionalism and ability of the Companions to intervene where others cannot”, emphasizing the importance of synergies between the Community and field associations.

Restoring dignity, building social bonds

The Companions Builders of Saint-Martin demonstrate every day that their mission goes far beyond construction : it is about restoring dignity, creating social ties and opening up prospects for integration. In Quartier d'Orléans, where economic and social difficulties are particularly strong, their interventions appear as a essential lever to support the most vulnerableBy coming to meet them, the prefect wanted to show clear support: that of a State attentive to the realities on the ground and determined to promote solidarity initiatives that concretely change the lives of residents. _Vx

See also: https://www.faxinfo.fr/association-quartier-dorleans-reconstruire-bien-plus-que-des-murs/

https://faxinfo.fr/en/association-a-quartier-dorleans-le-prefet-mesure-limpact-des-compagnons-batisseurs/