Française des Jeux (FDJ), the operator of the French lottery, has offered a helping hand to all Ukrainians that have fled to France from the raging war in their home country with a generous donation amounting to €200,000 ($203,552).
The Aid Will Be Used for Long-Term Needs
The considerable donation will be divided into two disproportionate parts. €180,000 ($183,986) will go to Bibliotheques Sans Frontières (Libraries Without Borders), while €20,000 ($20,448) is to be paid out to Ensemble Pour le Développement Humain (Together for Human Development).
Bibliotheques Sans Frontières is going to finance the development of a mobile application that caters to the long-term needs of the Ukrainian refugees that are trying to become part of French society. It is being developed in collaboration with French experts in the Ukrainian language, who speak Ukrainian and are familiar with Ukrainian culture.
The mobile application’s focus will mainly be on French-learning educational content that will help Ukrainian refugees learn French. However, it will also include materials that support the refugees’ integration into French society. A spokesperson from FDJ has shared more details about the content:
They can, for example, discover articles on French social codes and the administrative procedures necessary for the schooling of children or the search for employment.
FDJ spokesperson
The mobile application is currently in its test period and FDJ expects it to be launched in two months’ time. It will probably be available to the wider public in September.
A Small Part of the Donation to Go to Cultural Activities
The remaining €20,000 ($20,448) of the sizable €200,000 ($203,552) donation will go to the charity Ensemble Pour le Développement Humain (Together for Human Development), which has been working with Ukrainian refugees coming to France since the start of the crisis. The charity plans to use the funds to provide French lessons, but also to organize social outings focused on cultural activities. Money will likewise be directed towards workshops aiming to support Ukrainians’ well-being and education.
Chairman of the FDJ Corporate Foundation and deputy managing director, Charles Lantieri, has commented that when the war started the FDJ contributed to the work of the Red Cross with the amount of €200,000 ($203,552). This sum was used towards the urgent needs of the refugees arriving in France. However, the FDJ is now trying to help in a more sustainable way, looking after the needs that refugees have in the long run, things that will help them adjust to their new lives. Lantieri pointed to these goals as the reason to support the two charities.