Helmet screwed on the head, Rachida Dati silently attends a call to 115. Invited to the headquarters of the Samu social of Paris (13th), the Minister of Culture and Mayor of the 7th arrondissement wanted to take off both hats for the occasion. On this Monday evening, the councilor came to sign a charter of commitment in the company of representatives of Kering and M 6, in order to materialize the financing, to the tune of €60,000 per year, of a day reception center for women on the street.
“There are more and more women on the street, younger and younger, with children,” says the councilor. We noticed that women did not go to municipal toilets or showers because either their belongings were stolen or they were attacked. »
Today, 22% of isolated homeless people are women, the number of which has doubled in ten years. It was following this observation that a first structure was born, Oasis, in the 12th arrondissement (2019-2022). This place allowed the women collected to have access to a hygiene area (showers and toilets), laundry, snacks, access to care, a relaxation area and finally support towards employment.
However, the insufficient surface area of the premises and their configuration pushed the Samu social to create a second day reception center on rue du Moulin-Joly (11th), open since January. “The idea of this place is to welcome them and accept them as they are. They find comfort and real support to regain self-confidence,” explains the director of the center.
50 women can be accommodated
“For this Oasis 2, we asked Rachida Dati again, because the first Oasis was done with her,” confides Alain Christnacht, president of Samu social de Paris. As we know her ability to mobilize goodwill, we went to see her and she helped us. » Thus, Kering and M 6 were added to BNPP, Engie and LVMH (owner of Le Parisien) among the center’s donors.
The surface area of Oasis 2 is now 350m², with a garden, and the center can accommodate up to 50 women in need. Each of them can also benefit from a mailbox as a domiciliation service. Aesthetic treatments are offered and new health professionals join those already in practice: an additional nurse, a doctor, and occasionally several specialists, such as a psychologist, an osteopath, a dermatologist, an addictologist, a gynecologist and a midwife. female.
To conclude her speech, Rachida Dati did not miss the opportunity to remind the Kering representative that she was still looking for funding for another of her “fights”, that of child protection.
