This post was prompted by a questions raised on another site, some legitimate, some mischievous, about the aims and methods and motives of the association. Rather than indulge in an intemperate exchange of views, I thought a more sober presentation of the facts might help.
Until now all money donated to Val and all the goods we have been given are for the support of the migrants/refugees. Where possible furniture, kitchen equipment etc has been used to furnish apartments of young men (and a couple of families) who have been granted asylum here. Clothes and shoes have been used as far as possible to help the asylum seekers.
Surplus or unsuitable items have been sold via Facebook and Tag-on-line with the monies received (including some generous donations from private individuals throughout France and the UK) being used to buy extra things that are needed (socks, underwear, toiletries, telephone top-ups etc).
Setting up the association “Mains tendues 82” is to provide a legitimate vehicle for those funds, but also to widen the circle of people and organisations who can be helped (such as the local school). It may be claimed that as the donations were primarily to help refugees, donors might be unhappy that funds are being used for other people and institutions in need, but so far reaction has been positive.
It was asked “who will make the decisions about where to spend the money” which is raised, for example by selling DVDs and CDs etc in St Antonin. The implication seemed to be that Val and I will be using it to cover our costs in housing refugees (legitimately) in our home. We could do that now, without the association as we have full possession and control of the funds which were donated to help refugees. But the association will have a committee, comprising English and French local residents who will make the decisions. As we are based in Varen and the principal source of revenue will, we hope, be the Saturday morning sales through the old mairie, it is natural that we will privilege local residents and organisations, including refugees housed in our commune and those nearby.
We hope some of the funds can be used to help the asylum seekers we have here who have no income or financial support whatsoever until they have had their cases examined by the prefecture, which is in hand at present, but takes time. We can pay fares to Toulouse for meetings, some medication for which there is no reimbursement and some food (though generous donations from bodies such as the Croix Rouge provide much of what they need). There are many costs we incur on a personal basis for which we do not seek re-imbursement but the fantastic help we receive from the generous spirited people amongst us (and the muscle provided by our unpaid migrant “humpers”) make this worthwhile. I am pretty sure the mean-spirited, anti-migrant readers will not devote a fraction of the time and effort that Val does just to help others less fortunate.
“Mains tendues” is reaching out to all.
Malcolm Johnstone
taglines82@gmail.com
