Emmaus Ariège in southern France opened its new sales area on 19 February, the same day it received a new container, to be used to send goods to the Benebnooma group in Burkina Faso.
Members of nearby Emmaus communities and local officials all attended the event at Emmaus Ariège to open the new sales area. A stone’s throw from the existing shop, the area is to be used to sell clothing and will considerably improve companions’ working conditions. It will also make for a more pleasant shopping experience for customers, says Jean-Pierre Vidal, Chair of the community.
The day also marked the arrival of an empty shipping container at the community. It will to provide storage space for goods and, once it’s full in a few months’ time, they’ll be sent to Benebnooma, an Emmaus group in Burkina Faso. Emmanuelle Larcher, solidarity manager at Emmaus International, unveiled the container and told attendees about Emmaus groups’ activities in Burkina Faso.
Watch a video about Benebnooma
Established in the region for the last 15 years, Emmaus Ariège has gone from strength to strength – it now has two second-hand shops and is home to 25 companions, who manage seven emergency places. The community has also set up an SOS Familles (an Emmaus organisation in France that helps families in debt) and a social enterprise.
