It is a system that supports young women in precarious situations in the Lille metropolitan area. The godmothers’ house, located in the municipalities of Lomme and Roubaix, has just celebrated its 4th anniversary and presented its results this Tuesday, May 21 for the occasion. Since 2020, this structure – originally created in Champs-sur-Marne, in the Paris region, in 2019 – has sheltered young people aged 18 to 25, without housing solutions, by hosting them free of charge, on condition that they undertake to follow an integration path to quickly become independent. If they wish, these women are accompanied by a sponsor, a volunteer, who helps them move forward in their journey.
In the Lille metropolis, there are 27 accommodations offered for these young people, in the premises of Afpa, the national agency for professional training for adults. In 4 years, the system benefited 115 women, with an average support time of 8 months. The rate of positive exits, that is to say when young women succeed in finding a job and housing, is 69%.
“A second mother”
Among the young women who have passed through the godmothers’ house in recent years, there are Stéphanie, 20 years old, who spent 6 months last year within the structure. “When I arrived, I was on the street, says the young woman, who entered the system in March 2023. So I especially needed accommodation, because I already had training in hairdressing.”
Within the godmothers’ house, she has access to a room and real privacy, which allows her to stabilize. And the young woman, who no longer has contact with her family, has the support of her godmother with whom she communicates a lot. “She helped me a lot, especially on my self-confidence, because I am very stressed, explains Stephanie. She reassures me a lot, like a second mother.”
And this sharing goes both ways, according to Kathleen, her godmother. “Every day, I learned a lot from her. Particularly in terms of resilience, courage, not giving up. She is someone who gave me life lessons. She is 20 years old and I’m 52, and I learned a lot more than her I think.”
Nine months after her release from the structure, Stéphanie and her godmother are still in contact and still see each other very regularly. And the device has indeed allowed the young woman to get back on track. “I was nearing the end of my CAP, so I was able to concentrate on my studies, get my CAP and take off afterwards.” Stéphanie now lives in a hostel for young workers in Château-Thierry in Aisne, where she is actively looking for an apprenticeship in a hairdressing salon.
Need godmothers
And after 4 years of existence, to continue supporting the beneficiaries, the godmothers’ house needs… godmothers. “We had not taken into account the fact that an affect sets in when you become a godmother, explains the coordinator of the system in Hauts-de-France, Dominique Dubois, who is also herself godmother of a young woman. So we had a starting pool which was emptied today. We are waiting for volunteers who could support our young people.”
Hélène Fromenty
The device is open to anyone who has a little time, whether women or men and whatever the age. “A godmother is a referent adult who interacts with the young person in a rather personal way, specifies Dominique Dubois. The young people who are with us benefit from professional support, but beyond all that, they have nothing left and are often broken up with their families. So they need a connection who is not a friend and who can support them on their journey.”
And the godmothers’ house will soon open a third site in our region: it will be in Liévin near Lens, which will make 37 accommodations in total offered in Nord-Pas-de-Calais for these young women.
