Anne Charpy, Chairwoman of VoisinMalin

Mission

Empowering inhabitants in underprivileged neighborhoods is the core challenge of VoisinMalin. Within the communities where it operates, VoisinMalin identifies natural leaders among local inhabitants. They are hired and trained by the association, and missioned to create a dialogue with other inhabitants and give them keys to improve their living, and to empower themselves. The missions are built conjointly with partners such as social housing providers, local institutions or companies that provide services of general interest.

The Voisins Malins or ‘Smart Neighbors’ meet all residents in the neighborhood, essentially at their home. They give them advices on concrete services available to them. They listen to them, and build their capacity to take advantage of changes in their everyday lives.

Challenge

To restore a positive dynamic in underpriviledge neighborhoods and to foster interactions and bonding between people as well as with local institution and service, as far as in these districts most of the inhabitants are not aware of the existing services that may help them in their everyday life

Objectives

• To value the « Smart Neighbors » capacities and knowledge on special topics thanks to trainings and through free-speech moments that favors the exchange of ideas
• To help local authorities, private companies and social housing landlords in their relations with the population
• To foster the inhabitants' empowerment thanks to self-confidence, independence and social relations in order to create a collective dynamic, encouraging new initiatives and social cohesion
• In the long run, to change the way institutions act and communicate with the population in order to help them become closer and to build a sustainable mutual comprehension between them. There is also a serious challenge to restore a fair image of these populations and these districts and to avoid stigmatization

Principles and means of actions

# 11 intervention territories in the french underpriviledged districts, based in Essonne, in Val-d’Oisen in Seine-Saint-Denis, in Paris and in Lille.

# 30 missions conducted in 2015 as a response to the inhabitants needs on varial themes : housing, energetic precarity, health, education, right access …

# 22 parteners that command us in-door missions : social housers, service enterprises, municipalities