associations are concerned about budget cuts in the Ile-de-France region

Each equipped with his calculator, Noah Assoumou and Bryan Noita tackle decimal numbers. The two 19-year-old men follow a refresher workshop in mathematics, in a space for integration dynamics (EDI), managed by the Relay Association for the Education and Integration of Young People (Arpeije), in Clamart (Hauts-de-Seine). After a CAP for sale and a passage through Pôle emploi, Noah Assoumou, originally from Issy-les-Moulineaux (Hauts-de-Seine), dreams of becoming a veterinarian or working in a zoo. He came to EDI a year ago, “because of paperwork issues. They [l]have helped a lot here with the administrative procedures”.

Bryan Noita, a young adult from Antony, in the same department, has been there for six months. He was taken out of school last year after suffering physical and moral harassment. “EDI saves us a lothe thanks. When I left school, I was lost. It is thanks to them that I was able to bounce back. »

Each year since 1996, 26 EDI have accompanied young Ile-de-France residents aged 16 to 25, from rather disadvantaged backgrounds, towards the development of a personal project, training or employment. These trainees, remunerated according to their days of presence, mostly come from a specific typology (social assistance for children, direction of judicial protection of youth, dropping out of school, etc.). “These are young people who have been left by the side of the roadanalyzes Léa Minoux, psychologist at the EDI de l’Arpeije. They are often very isolated, they need to be given back their self-confidence and helped them to resocialize with others. » At the Clamart space, which welcomes 80 young people, this goes through mathematics lessons as well as cooking workshops, CV writing, urban ecology, audiovisual or carpentry.

“Think Deeply”

For a few months, the future of this system, which welcomes 2,500 young people in 2022, has been very uncertain. Managed by various associations (Equalis, Safeguarding, Aurore, etc.), the EDIs are 80% financed by the Ile-de-France region, up to 6 million euros. But the regional council has decided not to renew the funding for the period 2023-2026, plunging the associations into the unknown until December 31. Worried about these budget cuts, a hundred people (leaders, educators or young people) demonstrated in front of the regional council, which met on November 9.

The managers of EDI especially regret the lack of communication in recent months from the leaders of the Ile-de-France region. Everything seemed to be off to a good start in 2022. In March, the region asked the EDIs to co-construct a call for projects for 2023-2026 funding. Normally, the associations have until September to respond, then the projects go to committee and this results in a new agreement before the end of the year. But, in August, the EDIs still have no news of this call for projects. The collective sends a first letter to Valérie Pécresse, the president of the Ile-de-France region, on September 19. “We learned in the summer, after contacting your services, that the call for projects had not been voted on by the permanent committee as planned, without explanation, and without a new proposal”the associations are alarmed.

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