2023-09-03 15:13:41
“Fortunately they are here. “While the start of the school year is, once again, placed under the sign of inflation, parents of students in working-class towns can rely on associations. In Limay, a town near Mantes-la-Jolie, volunteers from Coup de Pouce distributed 200 kits to school and college students in the town. Inside, the children found pens, an eraser, a notebook… “This aid really helps us, especially when we’re down to one euro. I’m waiting to receive the kit to find out what I have left to buy, confides Marie-Augustine, mother of Majonped, a 10-year-old boy. Thursday I went to inquire about a tube of glue but immediately put it back on the shelf when I saw the price. »
In recent days, this mother has multiplied the signs to hope for the best price: Carrefour, Auchan, Action, Aldi… Hours spent tracking down discounts. And yet, an implacable and unanimous observation is essential this year: “Prices have soared everywhere. It’s worse than last year,” assure Aminata and Sali. “Even Action has become expensive, engages Marie-Augustine. Notebooks, glue are unaffordable. »
The purchase of schoolbags postponed to next year
In this city of almost 20,000 inhabitants, where, according to INSEE figures, nearly 20% of the population is poor, school expenses will be spread over the month of September, in the hope that teachers are not asking for too long a list. The most expensive, such as the school bag, will be postponed until next year. And until next June, you will have to be careful not to damage anything. “The children know it. They pay attention to what’s in their kit and it has to last all year round,” says Kadiata. “Last year, my son was helped out by classmates,” adds Marie-Augustine.
Beyond the purchase of essential supplies, these parents are also worried about the clothes and sportswear that will necessarily have to be offered to their children. And here too, the association stands out as an essential support. During this festive Saturday, she organized a raffle and a bingo. The prizes to be won, such as a voucher for a sports store, say a lot about the essential needs of families.
The supplies, but also the clothes, the canteen…
“Back to school is not limited to pens, recalls Aboubacry Sakho, president of Coup de Pouce. There are all these costs that add up to each other: clothes, transport cards, the canteen… Families can no longer cope. We see the difficulties progressing at breakneck speed. More people are knocking on our door and donations are decreasing because everyone is now paying attention to everything. The town hall, the local institutions are present but we are in a social desert. Often, the most modest are unaware of the aid to which they are entitled. »
#Families #longer #cope #Limay #essential #boost #finance #start #school #year