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Reintroduction, preservation and studies of heirloom crops for the back-to-work organic kitchen garden of Crosne.

The intermediate back-to-work nonprofit Abeilles Aide et Entraide plans to open an organic kitchen garden to a jobless public, to insert them into a genuine back-to-work "itinerary" with the ultimate target of a lasting job.
Projects listing

Social and Employment

Place
Crosne, France

Sponsor
Guillaume Frangville

Grant(s)
€10,000 to the Selection Committee at 2011/06/28

Project leader

Abeille Aide et Entraide

"I decided to support this project especially because of its workforce development aspect and its innovative character, but also because I am inspired by the determination and enthusiasm of the people involved."

Pierre Dissaux

Abeilles Aide et Entraide was officially created in 1997. This intermediate back-to-work nonprofit wants to accommodate extremely vulnerable persons (jobless, sometimes destitute and facing problems deriving from their status), with the ultimate objective of socioprofessional reintegration in the Essonne (91) area. Today, the nonprofit has initiated an audacious project combining the integration of jobless persons, protection of the environment and the cultural heritage, and educational projects. In concrete terms, this means creating miscellaneous activities around a new back-to-work organic kitchen garden (in the form of an Atelier et chantier d'insertion - ACI - back-to-work workshop and project).

To find or return to a lasting job

A 4.5 hectare wasteland was allocated by the commune of Crosne, and the partnership was initiated with the Museum of Natural History with the aim of reintroducing, preserving and studying heirloom vegetable crops. To open the facility to long-term jobless persons and insert them in a genuine back-to-work "itinerary", the nonprofit wants to enable this disadvantaged public to find or return to a lasting job. To do this, the project will welcome unskilled young people and welfare recipients. In the first year, 10 back-to-work jobs and three full-time jobs (staff) will be created, with an ultimate target of 20 back-to-work jobs per year. The nonprofit is also deeply attached to the evaluation of its social and environmental impact.

The Veolia Environment Foundation has been asked to finance the upgrading to standard and development of the land, and particularly for irrigation system, which is indispensable to launch the organic market gardening activities.