In Marseille, young people from working-class neighborhoods learn to swim in private pools

It’s hot this summer in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône). In Julie’s garden, the lapping of the pool almost covers the song of the cicadas. In the water, four young adults listen attentively to Claire Spanos, the lifeguard. They are there to learn to swim. All are volunteers, from working-class neighborhoods, or recently arrived migrants, and participate in the Eau-Rizon project.

Gateway to the Mediterranean, Marseille stretches over 50 km of coastline and its Old Port, at the foot of the Bonne Mère, is located in the heart of the city. But the city – which has trained great swimmers like Florent Manaudou – is drawing up an alarming observation: according to a study by the city hall at the end of 2020, between 35% and 40% of middle school students do not know how to swim at all.

France’s second city has only 14 swimming pools for nearly 900,000 inhabitants, three times fewer than the national average. In the northern districts, the most disadvantaged, the infrastructure is too far from the colleges to allow for regular swimming lessons. Since the 2000s, around fifteen swimming pools have closed, often abandoned.

An original approach

Based on this observation, the company La Fabrique du Nous is launching the Eau-Rizon project in 2021. Its goal? To bring together Marseille homeowners who own a house with a swimming pool and these young people who want to learn to swim.

The following year, the project was entrusted to Contact Club, which managed it and collected donations. This association is supported by the Avanti! Foundation, which is itself hosted by the Fondation de France and overseen by the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency. Each year, around a hundred people, adolescents, young adults or mothers in precarious situations benefit from around ten courses supervised by professionals.

Thanks to her swimming goggles, Alima, 23, does not hesitate to put her head under water. The circular movements of her legs and arms are still hesitant, but each time the young woman from Mayotte catches her breath, a broad smile splits her face. “Knowing how to swim means becoming free. Being in the water takes me away from the worries of everyday life,” she breathes.

Sitting on a deckchair, Houmayza, in his twenties, entertains the group by clowning around. Having arrived from the Comoros six months ago, he admits that he doesn’t stray far from the water’s edge when he’s at the beach. “It’s a bit of a shame,” he admits jokingly. In Marseille, knowing how to swim helps you fit in.

Seydou*, 17, won’t deny it. “I learned by watching people at the beach.” A few months ago, he didn’t know how to swim when he crossed the Mediterranean to reach the European continent.

Social barriers are falling

On the terrace table, Julie has delicately placed packets of cakes. Involved in the adventure from the beginning, this mother of two girls is delighted: “Making our swimming pool available has allowed us to meet wonderful people that we would not have experienced otherwise. These young people have lives that are the polar opposite of ours. One day, one of them came with his 3-year-old son, another told me about his migration journey.”

At her side, Caroline L’Helgoualc’h, the project manager, agrees: “Social barriers are falling, borders too. These young people are going to residential areas where they have never set foot.” At first, Julie’s neighbors were frowned upon when Eau-Rizon crossed; the high level of delinquency in the city made them wary. “Today, they are reassured and do not hesitate to show them the way,” she explains.

To participate, there is one condition: residents must be present during the sessions. Thus welcomed, the young people feel welcome and interaction is facilitated. “I was touched by their recognition. I meet them for several weeks, I witness their progress, I share their pride,” says Julie. At the end of the session, Seydou, alone in the pool, takes the opportunity to swim lengths, as comfortable as a fish in water.

* The first name has been changed.