Self-made woman, Catherine Enjolet invented her own way to succeed. Scriptwriter, director, she was in charge (for French INA) for exploring the interface between literature and audio-visual in France. She taught communication and cultural aspects in general, first in the United States then at the Sorbonne. She is president of the NGO “Parrains Par’ Mille”, mentoring children in France which she created in 1990.
As a writer, she received the Georges Brassens award for her last novel, “Rousse comme personne” (Red head like no-one).
Earlier she published an autobiographical novel, “Princesse d’ailleurs” (Princess from elsewhere) (Phébus, 1997, selection of ELLE readers).
She denounces the devastation of the “unspeakable”, first cause premature death. In her book “En danger de silence” (In danger of silence), (Robert Laffont Editions coll. “Aider la vie“ (Help for living) 1999 – J’ai lu – 2000).
Our children: the first victims of our non-communicative societies. Whatever our children are, victims or aggressors, they never stop reminding us, every day a little louder of their suffering… What should we do? Is it the maltreated child who cannot talk about it, or is it the adult who is unable to listen to it?
We all should be concerned with these problems. In your neighbourhood in Paris as well as in the provinces, a child needs you. For many of them social services may not need to intervene. They are not really abandoned, not necessarily physically abused. But from the very beginning of their life onwards they are doomed to social exclusion.
The objective of Catherine Enjolet’s association, “Parrains Par’Mille”, is to find a mentor (who is willing to provide help) and a child or a young person who wants one, so that long lasting affective bonds could be developed in the vicinity. It is stunning how many demands there are from both sides. A volunteer adult, who helps a child, is a shining star when needed.
Parrains Par’Mille Association wants to promote this approach, all over Europe (as it seems so easy to settle when speaking of international affective sponsorship). Already, Judges specialised in children affairs in France, have to face impossible choices between the danger for a child to stay living with his family and trauma of taking a child away from his family. So they choose this third possibility the association can provide.
In her book "Bonds making sense" Catherine Enjolet relates several cases where a child was helped tremendously by the arrival of a mentor and how affective bonds are being settled, how a “mentorship” starts and evolves. “Hold on, Angelica, I am very proud of you.”
Angelica, a courageous and resilient little survivor, so described by Boris Cyrulnik, who supports and explains the action undertaken for the benefit of all these children in similar situation, “War hero without medal of an invisible war.”
