The real life of Hafida, a wife of a prisoner
Hafida is 26 years old and lives in Paris. Karl, her husband, and she have been married since May last year. But since September, Karl has been in prison and Hafida’s life has never been the same. Now their relationship is about her packing bags and taking long bus rides to the the prison. Sometimes […]
Creative protesters in France: “If you don’t understand us when we speak, then we’ll sing!”
In 2023, many people took to the streets in France. They were protesting President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated for weeks, and some brought the protest to life by dancing and singing. Mathilde, Les Rosies, and Lauren see their dance and music to get people excited about politics. They want […]
“If one day Palestine were to be liberated, it would be thanks to the people”
Welcome to Ardi, the only Palestinian restaurant in Paris. Rania, its owner, opened this gourmet establishment in 2020, intending to share Palestinian culture with the locals. Since October 7, Rania has spent many sleepless nights, following the news of the war between Israel and Palestine. With the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ardi has become […]
In a Parisian suburb, 18-year old Emre is juggling school and his own farm
Before and after school, 18-year old Emre looks after around fifty animals on a farm just outside his local district in Villiers-le-Bel (95), in Parisian suburbs. Every day, he alternates between his life as a high-school student and raising his donkey, chickens and sheep. Our partners at @streetpress followed him for a day. Funded by […]
The hidden struggle of endometriosis: Myriam’s story
Myriam is a 29-year-old very dynamic hairdresser who suffers from endometriosis: a condition, which has been long ignored by the public and doctors. Between 6% and 10% of women worldwide are affected by this condition that causes severe, debilitating pain – and takes a toll on your mental health. Myriam was diagnosed very late, around […]
Guadeloupe: le chlordécone empoisonne encore la vie quotidienne
Nathalie, 40, lives in Trois Rivières, a city in the French island of Guadeloupe. For decades, this overseas French ‘département’ have been facing water shortages. Why residents of this island do not have access to tap water? French authorities had been negligent in building and renovating water infrastructures on this island, as more broadly on […]
Welcome to ‘Les Ardentes’, one of Europe’s biggest hip-hop and urban music festival
This is a classic for European rap fans. Every July, 200,000 people come to Liège, in the Belgian region of Wallonia for the festival ‘Les Ardentes’. Since 2006, festival goers across the continent are heading to this festival for three days of parties and music. Sphera member StreetPress was there and followed ‘Lulu’, a young […]
The life of a young French imam
Kalilou Sylla is 27 and is one of the youngest imams of France. Born in the suburbs of Paris, he has been since 2020 at the Mosque of Strasbourg, in Eastern France. This mosque is one of the most important mosque in the country. With Sphera member StreetPress, Kalilou talked about his path from students’ […]
“Anyway, the most powerful of all the X-Men is in a wheelchair”
Montasser is definitely a profile to watch! This entrepreneur in the Paris region is now developing an app which he describes as the “Pokemon Go” for job-hunting. “My employees don’t see me as a disabled person. They see me as their boss. It’s a success because when they speak to me, they are talking to […]
France: The MAP is discriminatory for Black Women
Pierrette is the founder and president of Diivines LGBTQIA+ association that fights for the representation and visibility of Afro-Caribbean, Afro-descendant LGBTQIA+ people. Pierrette explains how the MAP legislation in France is discriminatory for black women. Indeed, she denounces the pairing rule which means that a white PMA applicant can only receive a white donation and […]
