A book for another look at the people commonly referred to as “migrants”. Its title: “My first night in Nancy”. The work, which comes out this Thursday, June 27, was printed 500 copies free of charge by the Departmental Council of Meurthe-et-Moselle, it is sold at a free price for the benefit of the association “A roof for migrants”.
In this 48-page book written by Corinne Baret, a former journalist, twelve women and men from Guinea, Ivory Coast, Afghanistan, Sudan, Armenia, Albania and Chad recount their journey: why did they leave their country? Why Nancy? “We talk a lot about migrants, it’s a bit of a mass, it’s terms that scare people, always in a negative way even though they are unique stories and we don’t listen to them”explains the author.
In particular, she listened to the story of Isabelle, who arrived from Gabon in December 2019 with her son Kyann. An autistic child, rejected and mistreated by his family. It’s for him that she left everything. “If my story can help people, I would be happy. We all have different lives and when we are lucky enough to be able to arrive in France, we say to ourselves: it will be okay. But on the contrary, we find other difficulties, things that we have never even experienced in our countries Yes, it’s difficult but you have to believe in it, hold on and also, highlight all the people who give their time, their money, their work. their energy to accompany and help these migrants.”
“What would I have done in their place?”
“They experienced things that we probably couldn’t bear”continues Corinne Baret. “We can’t imagine leaving our country, we don’t ask ourselves the questions they might ask themselves. I am incredibly surprised by all these journeys. I often ask myself the question: what would I have done in their place ?They left everything, the family, a language, a climate, an environment, to find themselves there, without anything, without anyone is very courageous.
In this book, no “mass” but people: Isabelle, Abou, Fatime, Adama, Feresteh, Saliou, Sumaa, Allomo, Ersila, Jetnor, Dieudonné, Vardush. First names and stories. Isabelle now has an apartment in Essey-lès-Nancy, she works as a secretary in a law firm. Kyann is in school. “He’s another child. He was a flower just waiting to bloom and today he’s doing well, he’s blossoming.”she smiled. “Every morning, when I see him smile, I tell myself that I made the right choice and that the best is yet to come.”
- The book “My first night in Nancy”, sold at free price for the benefit of the Un Toit pour les Migrants association, is available in the MJCs in Nancy, at the Grande Epicerie and at the Hall du Livre. It will also be sold on Saturday June 29 during the “Street Parliament” which is held in Nancy on the Stanislas, Nelson Mandela and de la Carrière squares and which brings together migrants and associations around a circle of silence, theatrical performances and a forum.
