<p><strong>The woman</strong><br />A woman of courage and action, Catherine has now healed the wounds of her difficult childhood, where others would have given up and given in. Catherine grew up in « hidden » poverty, in a family whose past wealth meant that appearances were everything. It was here she first experienced hardship and violence. When her father died, Catherine was placed with a foster family by social services. At 14, she battled on, surviving with odd jobs while she went back to school where she excelled, gaining a degree and a teaching diploma at 23, followed by a PhD in the Arts from the Sorbonne. While teaching, she found herself faced with children all too often condemned to follow a path leading to exclusion. She could not just stand by and watch their suffering. She had to do something.</p><p><strong>Her fight: « Parrains par mille »</strong><br />She fights to improve the lives of youngsters and teenagers in distress, the victims of solitude or poverty, and give them the chance to build a future in a protective, supportive environment. This association brings together a child or teenager experiencing social hardship or in emotional need with a "sponsor" prepared to give their time and love.</p><p><strong>What about now?</strong><br />Today, the Association has 15 branches in France and hundreds of children have benefited from its help and support.</p>
