“We work for the youth” begins Sandra Kengne confidently, project manager at the Devenir association, established in 1982 and based in Neuilly-sur-Marne. It supports young people who have been bullied and raises awareness in classrooms to prevent it from happening: “The youth are between 8 and 25 years old, and the activities are tailored to their age [...] we try to make them active participants in the workshops we offer” explains Danielle Hamani, volunteer.
The association offers multi-day workshops to teach young people how to “live well in society and understand the values of the Republic”. Beyond raising awareness, these workshops help awaken their critical thinking about society and, most importantly, demonstrate that an “alternative ideal exists, which is not necessarily the one you are living, and can allow for a beautiful cohesion”.
Devenir collaborates with prefectures and city institutions: “In a municipality in Seine-et-Marne, 60 to 70% of cases of bullying were reported in primary schools” explains Sandra Kengne. In such cases, it is the town halls or local missions that alert the association. However, Devenir also directly offers these services to reach as many establishments as possible.
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