French charity Fondation Abbe Pierre highlights, in its latest campaign, that “Alone we can help, but together we can save” and urges people living in France to join the mission of reducing the number of homeless by donating.
The spot, created by Eric Lartigau and titled “Ensemble (Together)”, tells the story of a homeless woman who spends her days and nights in front of a pastry shop and living from one day to the next with help from passersby. When one woman who lives in the flat next to the pastry shop starts not only giving her food and clothes, but also listening to her story and providing emotional support, the protagonist finds the courage to change her life and leave the streets, especially after a terrible night, when she is robbed.
The soundtrack music is the 2006 single “Des Hommes Pareils” by Cabrel, from his album “Des roses et des orties”.
Christophe Robert, the general manager of the charity Fondation Abbé Pierre, has warned that France’s homeless population has risen to around 300,000, double the number in 2012, and is only likely to increase with the Covid-19 economic crisis. From April 2021, which marks the beginning of the period of legal evictions (in France, landlords are prohibited to evict their tenants during the winter months), there might be a jump in figures, he also says.
According to the charity, around 185,000 people are currently staying in shelters, some 100,000 are in temporary housing for people seeking asylum and 16,000 live in slums.
