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Cœur de Femmes and The Faros

As you may already know, we support the Coeur de Femmes association and offer you the chance to do the same by addiing a couple of euros to you online booking total.

Summer 2008 will always be unforgettable for some of the women at the Coeur de Femme house (the association gives shelter to women who find themselves in a difficult mental state and social position).

In two different groups, split between June and August 2008, ten women were able to experience what’s called a ‘break’ experience, allowing them to get their breath and vitality back, as well as regain other qualities that will hopefully help them to reconstruct themselves and give them every possible chance of getting back into a normal life. With our help, and yours – through your donations – we were able to be part of this wonderful, intelligent project, the story of which is told below. Most importantly of all, read the accounts written by these women; sometimes their barely-hidden suffering borders on poetry…


‘BREAK’ EXPERIENCES FOR WOMEN IN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT SOCIAL POSITIONS

THE FAROS
The concept

In 1998, Cœur des Haltes started a series of actions aimed at helping women that had become excluded from society get back into working life. One of these actions is the break experience.
These break experiences were born out of the following idea: in order to help people in precarious situations get back into work, job-seeking activities only are not enough. Activities to encourage and renew social skills and motivation are also required. Thinking that physical activity is a good tool in helping motivation, Cœur des Haltes set up the break experiences onboard the Faros.
The Faros is a yacht moored at Concarneau on the northwest tip of France.

The program

The break stays onboard the Faros last between one and two weeks. Five participants are guided by two professionals: a specialised educator (Angélique) and a skipper. Each evening, based on the observations mode during the day’s manoeuvres, the group managers give a summary of the day’s activities and readjust certain behaviour that could hold back the group’s progress.

How it starts

The break starts in Paris. Angélique takes the participant to the rendezvous point with a minibus.
The first night is spent on the boat, moored at Concarneau. The aim of the trip is to navigate during the day and stay in a different port every evening or every other evening. Leaving the yacht to visit each port is a good way to meet the local inhabitants. The women cook and look after the running of the trip with the active help of the accompanying educator, who keeps a vigilant eye on things.

What happens

During the different sea voyages, memories, sensations emerge, come back, and sometimes explode on the neighbouring rocks. It can be painful sometimes, but it’s also the occasion to find a first footing that will allow a deeper understanding to be had. It’s also a way of sharing happy memories or different cultural experiences with others.

Below are some extracts from one of the breaks. A diary is written by the women each day, describing their feelings and relating what they have done, allowing them to remember what went on and share it with the others once they return.

Wednesday 22nd August

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First day at sea after a night on board… Luckily we already know each other. R… is talking to me, “the one who’s getting worse and worse”. I just pretend, because cleaning up is very complicated, especially with the noise of the water. There are six of us living in a small space and everyone is trying is trying to find their space by coming up against the limits of the others’. Having said that, onboard things are going well. With our first rather bumpy trip we have learned to trust the boat and our team is solid.

This evening at the port of Sainte Marine, very relaxing with its beaches and welcoming artists, we will be spending a second night onboard in a soft and friendly atmosphere. R… has made us some of her famous food for breakfast, as a new destination awaits and the sea tests us before giving up its treasures. No-one has been ill. A good sign.

M-M

Friday 24th August

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What I day I’ve had. First we went off to the village, we visited it, bought some fish and after having lunch rented bikes to go to the beach and visit the island, because it’s not easy on foot; there are lots of hills, meaning that it’s very difficult for me, really difficult. So, we went to the beach, going uphill was a struggle so we walked up, but Angélique managed it on her bike. Once at the top she started teaching F… how to ride a bike. She did well, but it’s not easy learning to ride a bike like that, plus there were lots of cars. After more than an hour of biking (and patience) we arrived at the beach. Everyone was in their swimming costume, well almost everyone because I don’t have one. We went into the water. I didn’t dare because it was too cold. Angélique and M-M… went off swimming a bit, M-M… didn’t go far and F.. too. Afterwards Angélique came out of the water and only M-M.. went off swimming. She stayed in the water for quite a while. We stayed one the shore and Angélique took photos, it was good. What a day, filled with emotion for someone like me who hasn’t ridden a bike for seven years. I was pleased, it reminded me of when I was in Burkina with my bike all white. With the other women everything is OK, there’s a good ambience on the boat. So, a good day with great sun. Thanks for a nice day Angélique.

Saturday 25th August

Life is odd for me. It’s been eight months now that I’m no longer with him, and I feel good. I’m more free and speak and look after myself and I can say that I’m starting to feel alright about myself. In my head things are OK-ish, if you like. That’s the way things are, you can’t do anything about it. I feel good on the boat. Yesterday on the Ile of Groix, I couldn’t get back onto the boat. I was scared, but in the end I managed, but where we are now it’s easier and when I walk I feel ill. My weight makes me suffer, I feel OK about my weight but my heart won’t be able to deal with it if I’m not careful. But – hey – I can’t complain. I have the sun, I’m on a boat, there’s water, what else can you ask for? Life is beautiful.

R…

I’ve managed to find some peace and a little rest. It’s the the pink in the morning sky that made me get up, cuious and delighted by this fiery start to the day. The solar disc shining on the roofs of the houses lit up the distance and its luminous colours gave the sky a silky orange sheen. The bridge woke up slowly and boats placed like little toys on the water came back to life at the hands of their owners, who knew. The sea, the night, doesn’t sleep and caresses the hulls of the boats with its breath.

M-M

Port Louis is getting further away, even if it isn’t moving really and still hosts 1001 boats. Ours, all sails raised, is sailing over the water, carrying us over these troubles. On the surface we slide and go forth, meeting fisherman’s boats going back into port, the seagulls following them, lengthening the wake. For them, the sun has seen them at work…

…Things are fine at sea, the blue of the sky and the sea, the white of all the triangles between the world’s depths and heights, the shore wind lines with the sand softness, the houses – small at first, so small that you could almost pick them up and hold them in your hand – grow and seem to get nearer. Concarneau shows itself.

M-M

A beautiful day filled with nice surprises and discoveries. Walking in the little streets makes you want to explore. Talking on the shoreline, seeing the calm sea, the blue sky, people lazing on the sand… it’s all good. It makes me feel that I exist, and that I love nature, clean and bright nature. Unfortunately I didn’t swim as the water was cold, which hurt a lot, even though I couldn’t help myself from going in. The sea is a place where I feel at ease and secure, the place where I can talk about all my problems and it will understand…

F

Wednesday 29th August

Our last night on the boat. Tomorrow we go back to Paris and the house. I’ll miss the boat, and I’ll really miss navigating. My head is full of memories. That’s life, everything has to end. Tonight we’re going to eat out at a restaurant. We’ve finished cleaning the boat.

R…

Jeudi 30 August

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Departure, a bit difficult. After having cleaned the boat and packed our bags, we put our stuff into the lorry. Bernard called Angélique to ask her to go by the front of his house so he could say goodbye to us. As he’d gone without saying goodbye, we wondered what had happened. Perhaps he doesn’t like goodbyes, but it wasn’t that…

We arrived at the house. It was weird coming back. There are some newcomers but it’s OK, nothing has changed. The next day, everything was back to normal, or almost. The activities has started again and life at the house has started back up.

R…