Learning French
In France, unfortunately, very few services and forms are available in languages other than French.…
Far from family and friends, it’s normal to feel isolated, especially if you’ve experienced domestic abuse. However, it is possible to find a community of people sharing your culture or interests, even if you don’t speak French.
Verified by Ouarda Varda Sadoudi on 24/05/2023
If you don’t have people close to you in France, it’s completely normal for you to feel lonely sometimes. This feeling of isolation intensifies when you are or have been faced with domestic abuse.
Recreating social links can help you on your journey towards psychological recovery, in addition to a medical or therapeutic follow-up.
Below are different ways to meet people who share your interests, values or culture.
It can be daunting, but you can start by chatting online to get to know these people.
Many groups are created on dedicated sites or applications, for example:
Online meetups are very common these days and are a good way to make new friends.
However, it is important to take some basic safety precautions, especially if you are organising a face-to-face meeting:
Taking part in sporting, cultural or religious activities can you help meet people.
To find activities near you, you can start by contacting your local town hall or “mairie” to ask them if activities are on offer to adults:
If you are interested in a specific activity, you can also search online by typing in the name of the activity in French and the name of your town or city.
Another way to find a network in your city is to get involved by volunteering for an organisation offering free services called an “association”.
You can search for a volunteer role online, for example on “France Bénévolat” or the government website “Je veux aider”. They offer assignments in many areas.
You can also contact an “association” near you to find out if they are looking for volunteers.
In France, there are many services that can support you, give you advice, and assist you with procedures and paperwork. Most of them are free of charge.
A “Mairie” is a local administration in charge of local policies. Its main role is to help its citizens in difficulty. They can inform you about your rights and the financial assistance available, direct you to relevant organisations, and even help you with certain administrative procedures.
Social workers or “travailleurs sociaux” and “assistants sociaux” are professionals who support people in their administrative procedures and help them find solutions according to the difficulties they are faced with.
The “Centres d'Information sur les Droits des Femmes et des Familles (CIDFF)” helps the general public, especially women, in many areas such as: legal rights, health, employment searches, training, business creation, and even childcare.
While the utmost care has gone into providing you with the most accurate and up to date information, this page is not intended to replace legal or professional advice. Laws and procedures change regularly so it is important to consult qualified professionals.
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