Initiatives to help victims of Cyclone Chido in Mayotte are flourishing in Franche-Comté. The Exincourt football club (Doubs) collects donations, the mayor of Damparis (Jura) cancels his wishes to donate the money and the associations are mobilizing. We take stock.
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The images of the devastation of Cyclone Chido moved the whole of France. There, the inhabitants lack everything: water, electricity, food. In Franche-Comté, associations and elected officials are mobilizing to help Mayotte, the poorest department in France.
One of its great initiatives is the work of the Exincourt football club (Doubs) which carried out two days of collecting donations (Saturday December 21 and Wednesday December 26) following a mobilization campaign on social networks.
We were able to see via the media and social networks the disaster that the island suffered.
Maamar Benchaa,communications manager for the Exincourt football club (Doubs)
Following the cyclone, the Exincourt football club immediately mobilized: “We contacted the Mahorais de Montbéliard association to find out what the imminent needs were and we collected drinking water, food, clothes, health and hygiene products. lists Maamar Benchaa, communications manager of the club.
Donors are parents of licensees and people who follow the club on social networks.
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© photo fournie par Maamar Benchaa
As a reminder, on December 15, 2024, a cyclone of a power that the Mahorais territory had not experienced since 1934 hit Mayotte. According to the latest report from the prefecture published on December 24, 39 deaths were recorded. On the other hand, the number of injured stands at 4,136 lightly injured and 124 seriously injured, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
According to Maamar Benchaa, the action of the Exincourt football club “is a continuation of the actions we have been putting in place for several years”. The club also mobilized for the earthquake that hit Turkey two years ago, and the earthquake in Morocco last year. “We are for all causes, but the natural disasters that affect populations are close to our hearts,” he specifies.
These actions show that football is not just about the field. We can also be next door.
Maamar Benchaa,communications manager for the Exincourt football club (Doubs)
Parents of licensees, people who follow the club on social networks, “even leaders of other clubs”, came to drop off food at the club. For the structure, “It represents a lot. Already hope for the inhabitants of Mayotte who are going through very difficult times and within the club it represents our values: ethics, mutual aid, solidarity and tolerance”.
The mayor of Damparis (Jura), Michel Giniès, canceled his end-of-year wishes to donate the money intended for the organization of this event to the affected populations, through the Secours populaire.
“I didn't have a good conscience about making these wishes, when we see the problem in Mayotte and the Comoros. It bothered me a lot,” he explains. The elected communist made the proposal to his municipal council on December 20. In total, 500 euros from the municipality's budget will be donated to help victims of the natural disaster. The councilor does not rule out making donations for Mayotte in the future and also invites his population to support the victims.
This is an expense that does not need to be incurred for the festivities. It is better that it goes into humanitarian solidarity actions.
Michel Giniès,mayor of Damparis (Jura)
End of year greetings generally bring together elected officials and mayors from the sector, associations and staff. “It’s a buffet, it’s very friendly, but the population is a little outside and for me it’s not popular enough,” comments the councilor for whom municipal budgets are already too constrained.
“We put quite a large sum into this ceremony so that people would be satisfied” adds the elected official, who therefore decided to use this money to help the Mahorais. He does not rule out doing it again in the future and invites his constituents to do the same.
Another structure mobilized, the Emmaüs des Fins association in Doubs. She sent an envelope of 10,000 euros for Mayotte. “We raised 8,500 euros and we took 1,500 of our boxes,” specifies the co-president of Emmaüs des Fins, Claude Dal Bello.
The 8,500 euros were raised during an ordinary sale of Emmaüs tableware and linens. According to Claude Dal Bello, this initiative “is solidarity with people who have lost everything”.
People gave more than usual. They had less money from Christmas presents, but they were generous.
Claude Dal Bello. co-president of Emmaüs des Fins
“We put a ballot box at the entrance to the cash registers and people spontaneously put in money.” concludes Claude Dal Bello. The envelope will be transferred to the Emmaüs association on Reunion Island which will take care of managing this money, since there is no Emmaüs in Mayotte.
At the national level according to Mayotte la 1ʳᵉ, the Fondation de France has already collected 23 million euros. Doctors of the World raised 340,000 euros in donations on Sunday December 21 and Secours catholique reported a sum of around 300,000 euros. The French Red Cross does not provide any amount, but specifies that it has sent 80 human reinforcements, in addition to the people already on site.
