The " Maisons

Familiales Rurales "

in France
and in the world

Union Nationale
des Maisons Familiales Rurales
d’Éducation et d’Orientation
58, rue Notre-Dame de Lorette
75009 Paris

Tél. 01 44 91 86 86
Fax 01 44 91 95 45
Imp. des MFR - 78780 MAURECOURT - 01 39 74 76 49 - Avril 2002

E-mail unmfreo@mfr.asso.fr

www.mfr.asso.fr
 A different
approach
to the training
of people and the
development
of the area
they live in
 CONTENTS
dEfinition 7

1 - A continuous and
renewable process 9
• Shared principles, particularities adapted
to local people and areas
• Origin and evolution of the Maisons
Familiales Rurales in the world
• Examples of the formation of Maisons
Familiale Rurales in the world

2 - A Maison Familiale Rurale

requires… 21
• Responsible families
• Alternate training systems
• A global approach to education
• An active part in local development

3 - The Maisons Familiales

Rurales‘ movement 27
• A structured organization
• An active international Association

A PASSPORT TO SUCCESS 33

Map :
The “Maisons Familiales Rurales”
on the 5 continents 18

UNMFREO APRIL 2002

Translated from the french brochure by Véronique Delannoy

a trainer in a Maison Familiale Rurale
 A Maison Familiale Rurale groups local
families and people concerned with its
objectives (this gathering can be an
Association, a cooperative or a country men
group). The objectives are to work towards
education and the training of young
people or adults, towards social and
professional integration. It also allows the
long term development of the
area where it is based.
The Maison Familiale Rurale is provided with
the means (staff and premises) from the State,
the territorial structures and various partners
(associations, non-governmental
organizations, professional partners ,..)
in order to set up training and development
schemes which are based on essential
principles :

• families’ responsibility in the

management of the Association and in its
choices (Which type of training to set up,
which people concerned, which financial
means ?).

• a general training combined with a

professional training in relation to real life
situations thanks to the alternate training
dEfinition > system.

•a global approach to education.

• The involvement of the young people and
adults from the Maison Familiale Rurale in the
development of the area where it has
been set up with the very close cooperation of
all local partners.

7
 1. A CONTINUOUS AND
RENEWABLE PROCESS

Shared principles, particularities

1
adapted to men and the area they live in.

No matter where the idea comes from, no matter what

community is going to carry it a Maison Familiale Rurale
always starts with the determination of families that decide to
change their conditions of life, to increase their autonomy and
give (if they’re able to) real answers to the questions about
their children’s future and the environment they live in.
2 These families consider training as the most appropriate
solution. They organize themselves as an Association or a
group whose status varies from one country to another.
With the support of the teaching team of “moniteurs”(1) they
work out training schemes which will be the basis of
educational actions starting with the youngsters and the adults.
These training schemes reflect local everyday realities.They
also try to take into account the guidelines defined by the
authorities.

Thus, though the Maisons Familiales Rurales identify

themselves with the same movement because they are set up
on shared principles (individual and collective responsibility,
involvement of the individuals and the communities,
implementation of alternate training system and actions of
development ) they are however exclusive because they are
3 the result of different events, culture and experiences.

1 A “Maison Familiale Rurale” in the South of France. (1) ”Moniteurs” and “monitrices”: in the “Maison Familiale Rurale” they
2 A “Maison Familiale Rurale” in Senegal. are technicians, teachers as well as youth leaders.They are employed by the
3 Cooperation between ”Maisons Familiales Rurales” from the North and the South. Association.

9
 Each Maison Familiale Rurale is unique as each member of the

N
owadays in France, the
same family can be. organization consists of
about 460 Associations
Origin and evolution of together with more than 60 federal
organizations. These associations
the “Maisons Familiales Rurales” in France
build up an integrated network in
The Maisons Familiales Rurales‘ movement started when a far- the country and implement training
mer(1) from the South West of France found empirically the for more than 62000 young people
principle of the alternate training system. That was in order to and adults.
allow one of his children to get further education after his
The Maisons Familiales Rurales have
“certificat d’études” ( first diploma of the French education
always met the needs of the
system at that time).
youngsters of their families and of
This visionary farmer, leader of the local professional organiza- the area they live in.The main
tion was convinced that to be a successful farmer it is necessary evolutionary features are :
to get more and more knowledge, theoretical and technical, and
he was convinced that it is important to get an opening beyond
the farming experience in order to get a global
The first approach to the rural area.
• the geographical origin of the trained people :
Even if most of the Maisons Familiales
Maison Supported by the parish priest(2) who was a mili- Rurales’ pupils comes from a rural area, some of
tant of the rural cause, the first interested parents
Familiale decide to form a professional organization. Then
them come from towns as well.
was born the year after they decided to buy a house natu- • the parents’ jobs : mainly farmers in the past,
in 1937 rally called Maison Familiale (family house) and families who register their children in a Maison
they recruited a technician in order to do the Familiale today have jobs in all the economical sectors.
young people ‘s training and to give advice to the parents far-
mers as well. That’s the way the first Maison Familiale Rurale • the training courses range : originally linked to
was born in 1937. agriculture only the training courses prepare
people now for other jobs in relation to the rural
In 1941 the Maisons Familiales Rurales chose the status of Asso- area such as people and business advice, tourism,
ciation (according to the “French 1901 law”) in order catering, building industry and so on.... But the
to avoid inclusion into the link with the agricultural environment is always
“corporation paysanne”( a given priority.
farmers trade-union) and to
be able to act quite freely. • the pupils’ status : in the Maisons Familiales
The same year they created Rurales the young people trained can have a
the Union nationale des curricular status or the status of apprentice ( the
Maisons Familiales Rurales young person must be 16 and stays alternately
(National Union in a socio-professional environment and at the
for the Maisons Familiales Maison Familiale for a period of 2 years with a
Rurales). minimum salary.) The Maisons Familiales Rurales
also implement adults continuing education
courses supported by the companies they are
working in, the State, and the territorial
structures.
A general, professional and personal
training. • the diplomas prepared : today the Maisons
Familiales Rurales can offer training at nearly all
levels of the professional and technical education,
from the careers advising level (or pre-qualification
(1) Jean Peyrat in 1934. one) to the “techniciens supérieurs” (Higher
(2) The Priest Granerau. National Diploma ) level.

10 11
 Examples of the formation of Maisons
The Maisons Familiales Rurales in France Familiales Rurales in the world
and in the french overseas territories

T he “Casas Familiares Rurais” started in Brazil in the 1980’s.

With 18000 inhabitants Barracao has a rural population
living in poor conditions.This town situated in the South
west of Parana(1) is experiencing
< In Brasil, the a big exodus of the young people.
FRENCH GUYANNE
“Maison Familiale Driven by the maire (or mayor)
Rurale” in Barracao a small team with families and
officials gathered and gave people
information about what a Maison Familiale Rurale is. 150
people attended the first meeting. A “thorough survey”(2) was
done and results analysed.

In 1986-1987, the association was

▲
officially created. It consisted of
elected directors from all the
villages. Funds were found for the
building and the equipment of the
“Casa Familiar rural”.
Some Moniteurs were coached for
the alternate training system suppor-
ted in particular by the National
Centre for Training and Education in
France and thanks to the Maisons
Familiales Rurales in this country. The Young people from a Casa Fami-
first work sheets were written. liar Rural.

In 1989 the training scheme was ready.The themes to work on

were taken from the results of the thorough survey. 25 young
people got involved in a three year-training course. Right
from the first months, we could see changes in their attitudes
and the way they were running family farms and changes in
▲ the community too. The rural exodus has slowed down. Some
youngsters who had settled in town started to come back.
Interested in this experience the towns in the neighbourhood
▲
are planning to set up another “Casa Familiar Rural”.
▲

(1)Parana: State of southern Brazil.

(2) A “thorough survey” is a research, the result of thorough thoughts from
both the persons in charge of the future “Maison Familiale Rurale” (parents,
professionals,officials,and the population) and “moniteurs” or directors from
a “Maison Familiale Rurale” already set up.
In this survey all the features regarding the area where the Association is
going to set up are taken into account (geographical, social, economical....) It
aims at showing the needs in order to implement the suitable training
courses.

12 13
 In 1986 la conference was organized both by the French
National Centre for Training and Education of the Maisons
Familiales Rurales and the University of Québec; during that
conference they thought of creating a first
> IN Québec, association in that country. Facing the pro-
a firts blems of a high rate of school leavers as well
association as a sort of inadequation of future farmers’
education some farmers, foresters and
development technicians from Québec were interested in the
Maisons Familiales Rurales scheme.
In 1997 a delegation came to
France in order to meet, analyse
and ask questions to the people
in charge of the Maisons
Familiales Rurales. Then a
feasibility study was done and a
main step was passed : in 1998
the Québécois created their own
principle of association as a
“cooperative of solidarity for rural
development and education”.
The instigators have defined Québec : province of Canada.
their project as follows : “With the setting up of a “Maison
Familiale Rurale” in our area we want to meet an important need in
the education of the 12-15 year-old young people who are interested
in the farming and forest sectors and wish to get an education that
takes into account their own interests and realities of the area they
live in. Moreover we want to offer the opportunity of an alternate
training system that allows the student to build up his/her
apprenticeship project from his own experiences in his home
environment and not only from the academic knowledge. Thus we
will be able to increase the training and preparation level for the
taking over of our farming companies.We may even give some
youngsters the desire for further education.
Finally with such a type of school we would like to encourage the
implication of the environment in the younsters’s social integration
allowing them to take part in the functioning and decision making
regarding such a project and its implementation”.
After other exchanges such as the stay in France of three
Québécois teachers the Maison Familiale Rurale was able to
start in September 1999(1) with 28 young students aged from
14 to 16 most of them were farmers’ children following a
farming and forest training course as well as a maple syrup
production training course.
(1) On the borders of farming and forest areas of the Beauce and the Estrie in
the village called Lamton.
14
I n the North of Benin in 1989 some Iri Bonse’s members
representing an association of Kandi’s area citizens were
looking for an adapted training for their young country people
based on knowledge in relation with
socio-economical realities and local < IN SUB saharAN,
development.After getting to know AFRICA
what a Maison Familiale Rurale is thanks IN BEnin
to contacts with France-Benin associa-
tion based in La Roche-sur-yon in Vendée Iri Bonse’s members
gave information to Sam and Sonsoro’s rural
communities about the characteristics of that type of
association.Then the France-Benin association connected Iri
Bonse’s members to the Federation of the Maisons Familiales
Rurales in Vendée (French département) wishing to get
involved in such a partnership. Each other did exchanges and a
feasibility study was done on the site.
A thorough survey was done by two French volunteers from
Maison Familiale who arrived in Sam in 1991 and by the people
responsible for Sam and Sonsoro’s communities. It
allowed them to think about the association’s status , to list the
needs for the young people and adults’ education from the area
and to decide which development actions to set up. From these
priorities two beninese teachers were employed and they set up :
• a training programme for illiterate young farmers consisting
in three days training per month over 2 years as regards
agriculture, animal breeding, management, health, reading,
writing and arithmetic lessons.
• training courses for women groups in villages such as
vegetable produc-
tion, rice production,
farming produce
processing, hygiene,
childcare, how to
build up better fire
places.
• punctual training
for groups of people
in the villages accor-
ding to their needs.
Traditional ploughing in Benin.
This incipient organization took its actual form when the
Board of Directors met at the General Meeting to create and
call it the “MAFAR”(1)
(1) MAFAR : stands for “MAison FAmiliale Rurale”.
15
 The Association manages the Maison Familiale Rurale. It is res-
ponsible for the setting up of training courses and actions that
meet the needs of young people and their families.

When the volunteers came back to France the partnership

with the Federation of the Maison familiale Rurale in Vendée
went on with exchanges of letters and missions both in Benin
and France in order to do a mutual improvement of their
practices as regards teaching, education and the running of
the Association.

In the French département of Orne the Maison Familiale Rurale

of Alençon was started in 1994 thanks to the
determination of both the Maisons Familiales Rurales already set
up in the département and some
> IN France,
former student’s families.The project
MEETING
was originally carried out by an asso-
NEW NEEDS
ciation dealing with the training and
social integration of unemployed people which had been crea-
1
ted with the support of another family association called
“Familles Rurales”. Doing their usual job in the town of Alen-
çon the association’s people found out that lots of youngsters
could not find training courses adapted to their needs.
So a new Maison Familiale Rurale was set up in order to take
into account this problem.

In a first step adults training courses were carried out

regarding computing and baby/young child care . Then in
2
March 1995 training courses were set up concerning jobs in
Agriculture in partnership with the “Chambre d’Agriculture”
(Board of Agriculture )
It allows the Maison Familiale Rurale to get an official
recognition in its environment.
After working one more year in poor conditions the Board of
Directors got permission to settle in premises they could use for
20 years onwards. Then it was possible to have full board pupils.
In May 1999 the Maison Familiale Rurale signed a contract with
the State and started training at junior high school level
(“4ème/3ème”) and at “CAPA” level(1) whilst still doing adult
education for which it was originally known.

(1) CAPA : stands for “Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnelle Agricole” the
first diploma of the technical education in France.
3
1 A course allowing a social promotion and a qualification for youngsters.
2 A “Maison Familiale Rurale” in Honduras.
3 Young people from Madagascar in front of stone fireplaces.

16
 The “Maisons familiales Rurales” in the 5 continents

IN CENTRAL AMERICA
IN NORTHERN AMERICA In Central America the
In 1998 an association Maisons Familiales IN EUROPE
representing a Maison Rurales have grouped Besides France you can find
Familiale Rurale was within a regional the Maisons Familiales Rurales
created in Québec commission called in Spain, Italy and Portugal.
(Canada). You can the”FUNEDUCA” as
find others in Mexico. regards the following
IN ASIA
countries : Guatemala,
The creation of some
Honduras, Nicaragua,
Maisons Familiales
Panama, El Salvador.
Rurales in the
Philippines was
IN THE CARIBBEAN initiated by the
You can find some Maisons Familiales
Maisons Familiales Rurales in Spain in
Rurales in the Domi- 1988. The French
nican Republic, in Maisons Familiales
Guadeloupe and Mar- Rurales are working on
tinique. projects of creation in
Vietnam.
IN POLYNESIA
In this French
overseas territory
there has been some
Maisons Familiales IN AFRICA
Rurales since 1980. Nowadays about twelve
countries in Africa have
got some Maisons
Familiales Rurales :
Benin, Burkina faso,
IN THE INDIAN OCEAN Cameroon, the Central
There are some IN NEW CALEDONIA
african Republic, the
Maisons Familiales Created in 1977 the
Congo republic, the Congo
Rurales in Madagascar, Maisons Familiales
Democratic Republic,
Reunion and Rurales in New
Mali, Morocco, Rwanda,
IN SOUTHERN AMERICA Caledonia reflect the
Mauritius. Senegal, Chad, Togo.
The Maisons Familiales Rurales in Southern determination of
In most of these
America often started in countries where the kanacs and caldoches
countries the Maisons
socio-economical situation is poor.They people to educate
Familiales Rurales are
spread quickly on this continent and today youngsters so that
doing as much young
you can find them in 6 countries : Argentina, they build a
farmers and adults’
Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Venezuela sustainable future
education as
(There are also isolated formations in other based on the values
development actions.
countries). A Maison Familiale Rurale was of their territory.
They represent at the
created in 2002 in French Guyana.
same time a school and
a place where
countrymen and
growers can find
support and advice.

18 19
 2. A “MAISON FAMILIALE
RURALE” REQUIRES...

Responsible families
1
Worldwide a Maison Familiale Rurale is an association of fami-
lies. The structure implies a certain number of rules. The
General Meeting with all the actors of the Maison Familiale
Rurale (parents, training period managers,....) is the most
important moment in the running of the Association. During
this yearly meeting they analyse the results of the actions
started, they plan or decide the new actions to set up. This
meeting is a great opportunity to communicate with all
2
members - parents, youngsters, “moniteurs” - and the people
responsible for the Association. It is a great opportunity to
create strong links which make the Maison Familiale Rurale
successful.

Families vote for their members in the Board of Directors(1).

The Board of Directors meets regularly in order to ensure a
smooth running of the Association. Their main preoccupations
are about employing and supporting the “moniteurs”,
management, looking for solutions as regards education
training and the development of the area.

Being a Director consists in :

• Being responsible for and taking part in the running of the

Maison Familiale Rurale according to the aims and projects defi-
3 ned by the General Meeting,

1 People working on a thorough survey in Ecuador.

2 In all countries the “Maisons Familiales Rurales” are working with the alternate
(1) The members of the Board of Directors elect among themselves the
training system.
“Bureau” which consists of the Chairman, the Treasurer, the General Secre-
3 Beyond a professional and general training the “Maisons Familiales Rurales”
tary and a few other members.
want to provide a personal training, as well as a sense of togetherness.

21
• Representing the Association in the various authorities,
• Building and keeping privileged relationships with resourceful
people and official bodies ,
• Willing to give one’s time on a voluntary basis,
• Acquiring new skills by assuming responsibilities,
The Association finds support from some organisms which are
its partners(1) and allow it to reach the aims. Actually the
Association must look for moral support as well as technical,
material and financial assistance in order to complement its
own efforts, without forgetting its fundamental values.
Each family also assumes its responsibilities as a member of
the Association because :
• It is the first concerned by its child’s education,
• It gets involved in the Association according to what it can
do and its centre of interest,
It financially supports the usual running of the Maison
Familiale Rurale either in kind (work, food...) or money.
Sandwich training courses
School is not the only place where you can get knowledge
from.There is some knowledge you can get only from socio-
professional situations in contact with other people.That’s the
particular thing the instigators of the Maisons Familiales Rurales
easily understood. They thought about a rythm that would
allow to share training between two periods of time :
A period of work on a farm (in many cases it is the
parents’ farm) and a period of study at the Maison Familiale
Rurale.
Without knowing it they had invented an educational method
which is well-known nowadays : the alternate training
system or Sandwich training course.
The organization is totally successful thanks to a good
articulation between the two periods of time ; thus some
specific educational means are used such as the “study
project”(2) and the “sharing experience stage”(3).
(1) Examples of partners: town, region, State, professional trade-unions, non-
governmental organizations,...
(2) Study project: questionnaire allowing to collect information concerning the
professional family and social environment during the period of work which
favours the dialogue between the pupil and the adults of this environment.
(3) “sharing experience stage”: educational stage at the “Maison Familiale
Rurale” in which each pupil speaks about his/her experience at work comparing
each other’s practices.
22
Professional, social and family environment
youngster’s activities testing
experience taking responsilbility
observations activities
observations
questions questions
Interest, motivation assimilation exercise
Time
sharing experience
searching for informations
and explanations
study tours
Maison Familiale Rurale
The alternate training system (or sandwich course ) is a full training course with a
specific rythm.
Opposite to the traditional curricular scheme which is learning
first in order to put into practice afterwards the instigators of
the Maisons Familiales Rurales have then experienced an educa-
tional method based on 2 stages :
• During work experience the first step consists in “acting”.
• At school the second stage consists in “thinking and
giving meaning” to the experience acquired.
Thus all the training programmes are built according to the
above sheme.
In the Maison Familiale Rurale this scheme can be completed
with 3 other features :
• the pupil is the main initiator of his/her training course. The
training course was build up for two reasons : to acknowledge
the youngsters or adults’ experiences in their environment and
to take into account their personal and professional plans .
• the training course definitely has a social dimension.
In the alternate training system of the Maisons Familiales Rurales the
pupil’s training course has an actual meaning only if the
people in his /her environment feel concerned about it.
The analysis of practices and experience leads to a dynamics of
change. So in the alternate training system the pupil is not the
only person concerned as all parents and training managers take
part by sharing and comparing their experiences.
• the technical training supports general knowledge. Through
the alternate training system the aim is not only to educate a
person for her to do a future job.The pupil can also learn other
aspects totally integrated in the various courses such as deve-
loping a curious and inquisitive mind, taking responsibility
progressively, being autonomous, taking initiatives, speaking
and the other ways of express one self.
The alternate training system must allow the youngster or the
trainee to understand what he/she is experiencing and to
develop his/her personality thanks to families, training
managers and “moniteurs”.
23
A global approach to education An active part in the local development
The Maison Familiale Rurale does training for youngsters and The actual organization of Maisons Familiales Rurales with their
adults taking into account their personality, their culture, and three main characteristics (management done by the Associa-
their knowledge resulting from their various professional, tion, people‘s social promotion and alternate training system)
social, and family background.
is the main factor that allows
It enables each youngster to steadily improve oneself both daring to say families to be aware of the needs or
through collective or individual experience. But the Maisons
Familiales Rurales‘ ambition is not only to teach abilities and something, problems and so leads them to take part in
the problems’ solving.
ways of being ; beyond a general and professional training, daring to do
they also aim at teaching what citizenship is about and a sense
of togetherness. something When you ask men and women about what
they got from the Maisons Familiales Rurales,
• Learning the group life before talking about increases in farming yield for example or
In the Maison Familiale Rurale young people and adults find a growers’ organization or
pleasant environment especially adapted to develop their the decline in children’s
abilities and gain new ones. The school adapted to the means of
mortality, they usually ans-
each area or country ensures the pupils full boarding, and orga-
wer : “Now we dare to say
nises lots of collective activities so that everyone works with
something ,we have learnt to
one another. It also tries to open minds to cultural life thanks to
talk, we dare to undertake, we
activities lead during the day or the evening, and
prepares youngsters and adults to a successful integration into dare to do something, we are
society in which they can find a place and take responsibilities. doing something together”.

• A Maison Familiale Rurale : a close-knit “In the area where the

and personalized organization Maison Familiale Rurale
A Maison Familiale Rurale works in the area where it has been is based, training allow people
set up.It is close to the needs of the people living there.The Families are taking an active part in the
to improve their standard of
word “maison” ( house ) does mean a cosy and “Maison Familiale Rurale”.
living as well as farming
personal place. The rooms are set up in such a way that
techniques and to avoid youngsters’ exodus towards towns where
everyone can feel comfortable and have relationships in a
they cannot find any future. Training makes people find out new
family atmosphere though there are some demanding rules as
regards education in general. There is a limited number of techniques in order to increase production and income.
pupils or adults at the Maison Familiale Rurale each week. So
the team of “moniteurs” is limited as well. Everyone knows It also enables people to improve their social condition, to develop
and respects each other, and learns the group life. their personality, and to improve their relationships. It is one of the
conditions for social peace.” said José Emigdio Chairman for the
• “Moniteurs”, technicians, and youth guide Maisons Familiales Rurales‘ Associations in Honduras in 1993
The Monitrice or Moniteur stays all day long at the
about the role of training.
Maison Familiale Rurale. They have various functions : they
favour relationships in the group, they teach, they take an
Whilst visiting a Maison Familiale Rurale in Senegal in 1970 the
active part in the education aim while supporting each
president L.S. Senghor easily understood the developmental
youngster’s project. They are qualified to implement the
alternate training system and they know very well the aspect of the work : “what is interesting in what you are doing is
Maison Familiale Rurale‘s environment, youngsters, their fami- as much - or more - the actual involvement of various actors of the
lies and the training managers. They get involved in the deve- community in an education and training project than the training
lopment of the area where the Maison Familiale Rurale has star- course itself successfully taught to the young people“ he said.
ted its activities.
• Families which take an active part in their children‘s
education
The Maison Familiale Rurale is a place where everyone can
communicate with each other, which create a sense of solida-
rity among families. They can totally assume their parents’
role while getting involved in the training programmes that
take into account their priorities.

24 25
 3.THE MAISONS
FAMILIALES RURALES‘
MOVEMENT
1
A structured organization

From the beginning the Maisons Familiales Rurales in France

understood they needed to organize themselves in order to
bring together the initiatives sprouting up all over the country
and to favour communication among them As
a result associations have grouped and formed
> IN FRANCE
a “Union Nationale” based in Paris ; then
2 progressively federations were created in order
to give a better support to the network and to match the
French administration’s organization.
At the same time the Maisons Familiales Rurales also set up an
Educational Centre called Centre National Pédagogique
aimed at training new moniteurs, doing continuing training for
the experienced ones and doing research on the alternate trai-
ning system .

In other countries the organization depends on the numbers of

associations but it is just the same as in France. For example in
Senegal you can find the ANMFR (Association
Nationale des Maisons Familiales Rurales), in the < IN OTHER
Central African Republic the UNACREF (union COUNTRIES
Nationale des Centres Ruraux d’Education et de
3 Formation),in Brazil there are the UNEFAB (Uniao National das
Escolas Familias Agricolas do Brasil) and the ARCAFAR (Asso-
1 In Guatemala in Ojer Cabal all the population has been cooperating for months
with the “Maison Familiale Rurale” in order to provide the village with water.
ciaçao Regional das Casas Familiares Rurais).
2 Young people with their “moniteur” in a real life situation in the North of France.
2 A families‘ meeting in a “Maison Familiale Rurale” in Madagascar.

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 In order to make group work easier between several countries
there are inter-regional groups such as the FUNEDUCA which
groups together the Maisons Familiales Rurales in Central Ame-
rica. FUNEDUCA means “Fundacion para la Pro-
> BETWEEN mocion de la Educacion rural en Centro
COUNTRIES America” and was created in order to ensure
liaison between the Maisons Familiales Rurales in
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Salvador and to
manage an Educational Centre especially for Central America.
The meeting of FUNEDUCA’ s members.
Creation of the Maisons Familiales Rurales’ International Asso-
ciation (AIMFR ) was decided on by the European,
African and Latin America representatives gathered in Dakar
in 1975.This Association is the world Federation of all the Mai-
sons Familiales Rurales‘ organizations . Its objectives are to
represent the Maisons Familiales Rurales in the
international bodies (such as Food and Agriculture
Organization, European Union.... ) to maintain liaison and
exchanges of experiences between the MFR, and to promote
the MFR’s principles and methods in the world.
An active international partnership
The French “Union Nationale” of the Maisons Familiales Rurales
maintains international contacts with the following objectives :
• to encourage the creation and development of the Maisons
Familiales Rurales in the world. The community wishing to set
up a Maison Familiale is thus supported in the creation of it
and its educational scheme.
• to help the Maisons Familiales Rurales exchange their expe-
rience and methods.
28
• to encourage and coordinate partnership between the French
Federations and the foreign ones. Local authorities are taking
an increasingly active part in this type of cooperation.
• to consider new types of international solidarity , to make
the MFR acquire a worldwide dimension, and to promote citi-
zenship-awareness among youngsters.
• Lastly, to develop partnership with French and European
representatives of the international cooperation in government
organizations as well as the non governmental organizations
(French Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union,
territorial organizations, French Farmers and International
Development (AFDI) ...).
In 1994 the Maisons Familiales Rurales‘ Federation of Ille et Vilaine
(French département) in Brittany consisting of 14 associations deci-
ded to help the “Association Ille et Vilaine Mopti“ set up by the
“Conseil Général” (County Council) and
> A partnership doing a decentralized cooperation with
experience Mopti the fifth region of Mali.
Face to major problems of rural exodus the
representatives involved in the cooperation were asked to find solutions
concerning training and education for all the young Malians only
interested in going to the capital city to become state-employees.
Officials of Ille
et Vilaine simply
contacted the “Mai-
sons Familiales
Rurales” in order to
start an active
partnership which
now has led to
the creation of an
organization in Mali.
Today it is wonderful
to witness the
obvious development
of an organization at
local level owing
to the “Maison The “Maison Familiale Rurale“ is obviously playing
Familiale Rurale”. an active part in local development.
In the Kounary area (54 villages as a whole ) 25 young people are
following a training course. They teach and put into practice new
techniques in order to be self-sufficient as far as food, management
and medical assistance is concerned.
29
The departement’s representatives have worked for five years in
The Maisons Familiales
collaboration with a supporting commission which gathered every
Rurales‘ foundation
three months and the “Union Nationale des Maisons Familiales
in the world
Rurales’” international office. As a result we can say now that
through exchanges of experience such a partnership gave a mutual
positive development to both Malian and Breton ‘s organizations as Creation of the Maisons Familiales
well as the Directors, “moniteurs” and youngsters from the
“Maisons Familiales Rurales” in Ille et Vilaine.
Rurales ‘ foundation was initiated both
by the AIMFR and the
> A way to develop French “Maisons Fami-
This cooperative experience of cooperation makes you feel humble
solidarity
and respectful towards others, and makes you think about a different liales Rurales”. It was
approach to problems and it creates a real sense of citizenship. state-approved in 1996 and its objec-
tive is to support the “Maisons Fami-
liales Rurales” creation and
development worldwide. Each
organization’s project often requires
We can give other examples of similar partnership in the world : the Foundation’s financial support to
be successful.
Partnership between the Maisons Familiales Rurales from diffe-
rent parts of France and Central America, Vietnam, Brazil,
Benin, Madagascar, Burkino Faso, Chad, Congo, Central
African, Republic, Mauritius....

To help people
to achieve local
development

30 31
 Through many years of worldwide experience the
Maisons Familiales Rurales can tell now what the
passport to success is.

• A favourable environment : The cultural ,

economical, social and geographical environment must
have some potential ressources that give you hope and
allow people to take initiatives and responsibilities.

• Instigators must know how to make families

aware or their responsibilities. The Maisons
Familiales Rurales‘ instigators often are personalities
that have plans for their village and their community. They
have a dynamic conception of the future and have great
expectations for the area.

As they started the organization they encourage families

to take their full responsibilities as main actors in
the Association. Thus with time instigators assume a more
minor role whilst still supporting families, especially in
their choices as regards training objectives, people
concerned, training schemes, methods and overall
management (human, maintenance, financial).

• Social and vocational training must

be adapted to the environment : in the villages and
communities training courses must address most people
and not just an elite.

• The actual global approach to education

The passport must consist in teaching knowledge as well as a certain
know-how and behavior.This approach encourages
to success > analysis, thinking and decision making. It brings out the
ability to communicate to negotiate and it bridges the
gap between popular know-how and technical and
economical knowledge. Its objectives are as much to
help people to think about the reasons for observed
facts or situations as to give information about the way
things function (How does it work ?).

33
• Training courses are in relation with various
themes : water, hygiene , soil work , crop conservation,
protection of environment,... They allow pupils to
observe, to ask questions , to exchange experience,
as well as to get new knowledge and get involved in real
situations .
• In order to set up such a different approach to
education one needs time and patience. Indeed
the objective is not only to acquire new techniques it is
also to try and change attitudes and behaviours, keeping
in mind that any training system can hesitate, have
doubts and hopes.

• Training and local development are closely

linked. They nourish each other.Vocational training is
supported by a dynamic and favourable environment.
The more dynamic and favourable the environment the
more important the training of motivated pupils is.

• However good the teaching is it would be hopeless to

think that youngsters or adults will stay in a rural area if
they are convinced they can get better living conditions
in cities or abroad. Changing training or education
methods is not enough. Training must bring as well some
measures in order to achieve the trainee’s individual
project of integration (changes in the loan
system, in the land legislation and prices policy for
example).

• Qualified and motivated leaders are devoted to

pupils and the community and not the opposite. That is
why their training, recruitment and status matters
so much and so does their human management and
suitability.

• Means must be adapted to communities. Means

(human, maintenance, financial...) and procedures must
be adapted to the community’s possibilities. Costs and
every month’s charges resulting from first investments
must be taken into account seriously as well as manage-
ment. While it is necessary that families support the Mai-
son Familiale Rurale as best they can ( work, money or in
kind ) it is obvious that the MFR needs to find other
financial support from generous organizations (State or
local authorities, etc.).

34 35