VoisinMalin
Door-to-door missions to prevent addiction among young people in neighborhoods
Ramsay Sante Foundation supports the VoisinMalin association to inform, open dialogue and prevent the risks of addictive practices among young people in working-class neighborhoods.
Present in 20 cities across France, VoisinMalin empowers residents of working-class neighborhoods. It identifies, employs and trains local "messengers" in working-class neighborhoods: the Voisins Malins. Going door-to-door, they listen to their neighbors, inform them and mobilize them around projects, services and rights that concern them in their daily lives (housing, access to rights, health, access to employment, etc.).
These Smart Neighbors reach out to families and young people in working-class neighborhoods. These meetings between neighbors, for example, open up a dialogue on addictive habits, whether related to activities (use of cell phones and screens, etc.) or consumption (coffee, sugar, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, narcotics, etc.).
Although a number of facilities and resources have been set up to prevent and support addiction among young people, they are sometimes little known to the general public. These moments of exchange help to inform and even direct people towards dedicated structures.
Promoting addiction prevention messages
In 2020, the VoisinMalin association led an initial experimental mission among the residents ofEvry-Courcouronnes in Essonne (91), to raise awareness of various risky behaviors. Inhabitants employed by the association, known as "messengers", the Voisins Malins, went out to meet young people aged 16 to 25 to discuss various addictive habits - sometimes exacerbated by the health crisis - and provide information on the reflexes to adopt and the local structures that can be contacted free of charge and anonymously.
Encouraged by the success of this pilot project, the association has continued its door-to-door actions on this subject in 2022, with the support of Ramsay Sante Foundation. In this way, Les Voisins Malins were able to talk to over 300 additional families about addiction prevention for young people.
The results?
- 4 addictions mentioned, and considered the most common: alcohol, chicha, screens, nitrous oxide
- 352 targeted homes, 225 open houses
- 156 interviews conducted
- 13 Smart Neighbors completed this mission.
- The satisfaction survey carried out by the association showed that 95% of visitors found the information useful. 73% said they had learned something. 55% plan to take action, in particular to talk about it with their children.
Further training for Smart Neighbours with specialized healthcare professionals
Ramsay Sante Foundation offers to support Voisins Malins in developing the message it conveys, by providing the association with professionals experienced in addiction prevention and care. The message will be based on the Voisins Malins' knowledge and perceptions of the subject, and the way they feel is most appropriate to address it with residents, on the one hand, and on medical expertise on the other.
An ambition to roll out to other geographical areas by the end of 2024
Preventive health care is a fundamental issue throughout France. The VoisinMalin association aims to extend this type of initiative to other working-class neighborhoods by the end of 2024. With the support of Ramsay Sante Foundation, the association's teams will be working from 2023 onwards in two other towns where it is present, training new Voisins Malins (Smart Neighbors) to refine their knowledge of addiction prevention and guidance for people suffering from addiction.
VoisinMalin works in working-class neighborhoods, at the heart of exclusion and social problems.
Faced with the difficulties faced by many residents of these neighborhoods, VoisinMalin is mobilizing to help them better understand their environment, regain confidence and regain their power to act.
To achieve this, the association identifies, employs and trains local "ambassadors" in working-class neighborhoods, known as Voisins Malins. Going door-to-door, they listen to their neighbors, informing and mobilizing them about the projects, services and rights that concern them in their daily lives (housing, health, access to rights, access to employment, etc.). Most of these residents don't use them for lack of information, feelings of non-legitimacy or mistrust of institutions.
Recognized as peers by local residents, they act as intermediaries for local players (associations, local authorities, landlords and businesses), providing the last-mile information that is often needed to reach the people concerned.
Attentive to the needs of residents, VoisinMalin also advises institutions and companies to transform their practices and invent new, more appropriate solutions.
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