The mission is simple but effective: to give 47 beneficiaries the chance to start a new chapter in their lives.
While the people who turn to Maison Sourrire have different backgrounds, they share one common experience: many of them depended on the Social Inclusion Income (REVIS) and had a hard time finding to find a stable job.
Sandrine Ermer, 35, explains how she hadn’t done much because she been struggling with severe depression. However, her arrival, her mental health has “improved by a lot”.
At Maison Sourrire, beneficiaries develop social and practical skills in various areas, including cooking and table service, upcycling, cleaning, logistics, and administration.
Marie Laurini, director of Maison Sourrire, said that “people could choose what they wanted to do”, and that this was very important to her because “vulnerable people often have no choice”. She added that “there, they really work with what people want to be”.
The project is not only about technical training, but also about rebuilding self-confidence and independence.
Sophie Brillet explains that she is a mother of five children, including one with special needs, and that she had taken a long break from her 22-year career. “I have gone through some difficult and painful experiences in my life”, she said. She explained that she works at the reception in the shop and that it is really helping her rebuild relationships in her life. “Most importantly, I am regaining a lot of self-confidence and strengthening my sense of self-worth.”
Brillet hopes that the project will act as a stepping stone, helping beneficiaries successfully enter the labour market.
“They have 11-month contracts and at the end we look for partner companies that are interested in giving someone a second chance,” says Laurini. Maison Sourrire is a pilot project co-financed by the Ministry of Family and Integration and runs for the next two years.
