On the occasion of the end of the year celebrations, the RAJA-Danièle Marcovici Foundation organized a Solidarity Christmas Market on December 18th and 19th. This event brought together associations supported by the Foundation, which explained their actions for women's emancipation and sold their products to RAJA head office’s employees. In parallel, a collection of toys was organized from December 14th to 21st for the benefit of Rejoué, an association supported by the Foundation since 2015.
Rejoué is the only site for insertion of used toys in Île-de-France: the toys are collected, sorted, cleaned and sold at solidarity prices by thirty employees in insertion, 60% of whom are women. These women, who face difficulties finding a job, are accompanied individually to define their professional projects and solve their social problems.
The insertion site has been designed to offer them an activity that responds to their constraints, especially through the adaptation of the work rhythm, and that promotes self-esteem through a rewarding activity.
Based on its experience in Île-de-France, Rejoué works on its change of scale: the association plans to create a national reuse and recycling of toy, which would make it possible to offer more and more people the chance of sustainable integration into employment.
On the occasion of the Solidary Christmas Market organized at the RAJA Group headquarters, collection bins were arranged to allow employees to drop off their unused toys.
“This is a great initiative that allows me to make room in my children’s room and make an act of solidarity in my workplace,” said a collaborator as she drops her toy off the boxes.
The collection was a real success since 116 kilos of toys, stuffed toys, puzzles, board games but also books, were thus able to be delivered to the association Rejoué that will give them a second life.
On January 8th 2019, Jonathan Costa, Head of Audit and Consolidation of the RAJA Group and member of the Executive Committee of the Foundation, visited the premises of the association with Nathalie Ourry, Director and founder of Rejoué.
” I discovered a warehouse of 2,000 m2 on 2 floors structured by workshop. The tour took place according to the cycle of the toy: collection and reception process, cleaning workshops and refurbishment, then sorting and recomposing and finally selling and pricing.
In an atmosphere of warm and supportive work, the members of the association I met were very motivated and committed to common values of sharing, emotion and sincerity.
Rejoué offers an alternative to recycling: the second hand. With this key concept and around a rich circular economy, Rejoué has the potential and skills to continue to make children and enthusiasts dream and smile nationally.” told Jonathan Costa.
Similarly, the Foundation’s team went on January 31st 2019 to the Rejoué premises in Vitry-sur-Seine to hand over the collected toys. Geneviève Ghesquière, head of financial management, and Arnold Boukriss, production manager, showed the team the path of the recycled toy: Once collected, the toys are sorted and cleaned using ecological products, completed and reassembled, before being sold at solidarity prices in the 2 stores in Paris (Ivry and Paris 14th), and also to partner structures (early childhood, nurseries, schools, etc.).
This visit enabled the team to meet the employees and especially the accompanied women, who explained the various steps of taking charge of the toys from their arrival in the warehouse to their shipment in store.
“The work offered at Rejoué is very complete, the tasks are varied and allow the induction workers to develop expertise and real skills. This is emphasized by the volunteers who come to spend days in the workshop, all of them leave with a completely different idea of the work done by the teams of the workshop,” said Arnold Boukriss.
A long-term partnershipSolidary collection is part of the RAJApeople programme, which enables collaborators to work alongside the Foundation in solidarity actions for women. The partnership with Rejoué symbolizes the commitment of the RAJA Group and its Foundation to promote the role of women in environmental protection. Supported by the Foundation since 2015, Rejoué is the winner of the 2018 Jury’s choice RAJA Women’s Awards. |
For more information on the association: http://rejoue.asso.fr/
