Wednesday, October 19, 3:00 pm. The gymnasium of the Beauvais campus of UniLaSalle is filled with the sound of voices. Inside, twenty or so beneficiaries of international protection are doing sports activities alongside Lasallian students. On this sunny afternoon, the engineering school is involved with Coallia and Ufolep in one of the events organized as part of Integration Week, which highlights actions taken in the Oise region to promote the integration of newcomers.

A sponsorship commitment for six Lasallian students

At the end of this sports afternoon, six Lasallian students committed themselves to becoming sponsors of one or more beneficiaries of international protection.

Through this act of sponsorship, the six students commit themselves for at least 7 months to help their godchildren integrate into French society, notably through cultural and leisure activities, moments of exchange over a meal or a coffee, or even through sports sessions. The idea is not to replace social workers but to provide a moment of intercultural exchange. "It's a give-and-take, we'll be able to help them and it's something I really want to do," explains Lucien Ventre, a first-year engineering student who wanted to join this initiative. "In their place, it would be very reassuring for me to have a little connection to the country, someone who can help me with administrative, academic or even social matters. And at the same time we will discover their lives and their history, it is something extremely enriching."

The signing of these sponsorships took place on Wednesday, October 19, on the premises of UniLaSalle, in the presence of Sébastien Lime, sub-prefect of the Beauvais district and secretary general of the Oise prefecture.

photo : Céline Delaplace