Since the inception of the “Projet Banlieues” in 2005, the BNP Paribas Foundation has increased the number of its partnerships by forging relations with various local associations.

In particular, it supports “Entraide et Solidarité par le Sport” (ESS – Kinship and Solidarity through Sport), an association that promotes the development of young people from problem districts through sport. Set up in a Paris suburb five years ago, the ESS association holds a football match every Sunday where young people in difficulty meet up with the professionals who help them – educators, teachers or even doctors.

RCF radio has interviewed Gustave Kwedi, the association’s founder:

“What I mean is that we try to reach out to everyone through sport; we train them to our level, advise them and guide them. It’s through sport that each person comes and tells us what he needs. Some need help with their personal projects; some need help with homework – that’s how we reach them, how we train them.

It starts with sports training, because there are some young people who would like to go professional at a particular sport. There are some ex international footballers who come and play with us; there are teachers with us, who help the young people with their homework, and there are engineers who help them plan their projects. We also have a group of doctors here. That’s the way it works here… a bit of everything.”

Read the complete interview