She was twenty years old when she left for Madagascar. Anne-Marie Gallant keeps an indelible mark from this two-year experience with her husband in the early 1970s. He will teach French in a Protestant college, she, natural sciences and chemistry. This parenthesis, within the framework of the Protestant mission, will have “marked our entire life”. The links have never faded. “My husband is still president of an association that helps the country,” says Anne-Marie Gallant.
Today, the president of the Cimade-CCFD group in Saint-Avold is one of the driving forces behind the exhibition-sale Crafts and flavors of the world, which will be held on Saturday November 9 and Sunday November 10 at the convention hall. Openness to others, always, and the desire to reach out to the most vulnerable populations are powerful driving forces.
Ecological and supportive approach
For the organization of this event, which has been part of the Naborian calendar for more than 20 years, the Cimade-CCFD group (association for the defense of foreigners' rights – Catholic committee against hunger and for development) works with around fifty people. artisans and producers, via a fair trade organization. “We also like to talk about a solidarity offer, designed by marginalized people, widows, the disabled,” wants to emphasize Anne-Marie Gallant.
The ecological dimension is also central. “Many artisans work with recycled materials, like these Kenyan refugees who make sculptures with leftover brass or these women who make baskets with pieces of saris. » In accordance with the principles of fair trade, prices are set as fairly as possible, taking into account the local context, “so that producers can live decently”, further indicates Anne-Marie Gallant.
Crafts and organic products
On the stalls, visitors will find handicrafts – candles made in India by hearing-impaired people, ceramics from Nepal, textiles and baskets from Bangladesh, jewelry from Kenya, etc. – and food, mainly organic: coffees, teas, chocolates, spices and honey. The offer will be supplemented by more local products, with the presence of honey and chestnut jam producers “to help those who work in short circuits. »
Finally, a friendly space will be set up to allow volunteers to interact with visitors and make them aware of the process.
