Patron of the mosque of Mantes-la-Ville (Yvelines), Aziz El Jaouhari is also at the head of As-Suffa, a charitable association extremely invested in the territory which helps 1,200 families. With inflation, the profiles of the beneficiaries have evolved and the president of As-Suffa warns of the situation of certain poor workers, smicards, pensioners… now plunged into great precariousness.
With inflation, do you see an increase in poverty?
AZIZ EL JAOUHARI. Yes, it is undeniable. Every day, we see two or three new families pushing the doors of our association. They come to eat. Until now, these people were shopping in the cheapest stores in the region, which is already telling. But with the rise in prices, the little room for maneuver they had – a few euros for some – disappeared. Even the cheapest hard discount has become inaccessible. And they rock.
What is their profile ?
We have classic profiles, that is to say migrants, including those from Eastern Europe. We also receive middle classes who can no longer do it, wage earners, retirees, poor workers, others who sleep in their cars. All of these, once again, slide very quickly into poverty. We follow a family who managed to survive on 800 euros per month. But they recently received an electricity bill of 700 euros… I also met people who came during the Covid. They disappeared when things were a little better and they finally come back to see us. They are in a permanent unstable equilibrium. One element is particularly striking: we have a social and solidarity grocery project for the end of the year. People keep asking us when it’s going to open…
Situations are sometimes touching…
Yes. I recently took in a lady of a certain age. She was crying because she understood that she had nothing. We also come across children who are happy to eat bread… happy to eat bread! Some are starving. It’s hard. Even for us.
We imagine you are worried about the next few months…
Obviously. We have reached a point where the demand has exceeded the supply. The scale of the needs is enormous. What worries me, too, are all those who are off the radar, all those whom we do not touch. They are breaking the slab at home, in silence. I fear dramatic consequences for these people. Because, psychologically, the effects of the switch to silence are terrible.
What can the government do to help you?
The municipal social action centers must increase their vigilance. We must improve the complementarity between State services, town halls and associations.