Sunday June 1 is World Parents' Day. How could we not take this opportunity to introduce you to Ginette, mother of 6 children, who puts her experience, kindness and strength at the service of others every day. As an educator of young children, she accompanies not only toddlers, but also their mothers, who are often at risk and far removed from the mainstream.
Hello Ginette, can you tell us a little about your background?
I'm of Haitian origin and live in Essonne. I've loved drawing ever since I was a little girl. I wanted to go to art school, but with my grades, I was steered towards a secretarial baccalaureate instead! Which I didn't like! Then I tried a BTS in executive assistant.
I used to work as a medical secretary, but after a skills assessment, I realized that I liked helping people, especially children. I then became a live-in nanny and decided to train as an early childhood educator. During this period, I had my first 3 children. It was intense but very rewarding! I then took the competitive entrance exam for the civil service, and worked in both public and private crèches. And I had my 3 other children too!
What prompted you to join our Chemins d'Enfances program?
In my personal life, I've always had a desire to reach out to others: the homeless, women in prison, migrants... With my sister, a nurse, we'd go out to meet them and bring them a cup of coffee, some clothes, a listening ear. The job at Planète Enfants & Développement immediately appealed to me. It allows me to combine childcare with support for mothers who, without childcare, can't train.
Can you describe your day-to-day life?
With Rama, my civic service colleague, we take in children aged 6 months to 3 years in our Babycréatif workshop while their moms follow a training course with our partner Emmaüs Connect in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. We welcome 3 to 5 children for two months.
Our days are structured to give the children a sense of direction: welcome, free play, hello song, activities (drawing, painting, dance...), outing to the park, meal with mom, nap and quiet activity. We end with a short written message for mom.
Do you feel like you're contributing to something?
At first, some children don't speak French, move around a lot and throw toys. You have to give them a framework and help them understand the rules. A child needs points of reference to feel secure.
I love to see children grow and blossom, despite the morning separation. And what touches me is when moms tell me: "He talks more, he plays better, he leaves me a bit more alone." Some children used to spend a lot of time in front of the TV, and in two months they change.
When I see the children's progress, and when a mother is able to continue her training thanks to this program, I tell myself that I'm serving a useful purpose. We also organize a moms' café, twice a session. It's a time for sharing and exchanging ideas. I've shared my passion for painting, and they've loved it. It's a real breathing space for them.
