WAIFS 2010 (Women Alone In France)

[WAIFS 2010]

Hi, did anyone see the article in Tuesdays Daily Mail about the growing

number of women being left in France by partners who are not able to

cope and do not know where to go for help and advice? Since then all

sorts of exciting things have happened and the lady who featured mainly

in the story has been approached to offer help and support to Women

Alone In France hence the name of her group. There are a lot of things

she can help with including legal advice from a Notaire, Avocat,

Insurance man, Doctor and financial advisor. There will be more press

coverage as things progress and there are people able to offer some

work opportunities and support women in a variety of practical ways.

This is not a " tea and a chat" group these are real issues for real

people and she aims to help sort out the problems women cannot perhaps

find answers to easily. The group will help women all over France and

there will be a confidential line for private discussion and a private

email address. Please spread the word, maybe you know a woman

struggling alone or are indeed yourself having a tough time. For more

information please email and I will put you in touch. Help offered

always appreciated so if you have a skill to offer get in touch too

(men alone can also get help.)

They are currently about to add

some pages to the wordpress blog WAIFS 2010 so spread the word.

[Dog]

Before you know it there will be the equivalent... Maifa - men abandoned in France alone or maybe men abandoning spouses and fleeing France - MASAFF.

More likely happily abandoned in France awaiting lover - HAIFAL.

[Chancer]

Seems pretty unfair to me.

"The (womens) partners that are unable to cope and do not know where to go for help and advice" (and I do feel for the poor guy of 75 that found the strength to do something about his lot) are not ilikely to get much help from the womens group are they? 

[Quillan]

Having read two of the article, the one before was discussed in the forum, there were some 'strange' things going on or so some thought. I got the impression that not enough research was done before they came to France and it all seemed to be a bit like 'on a wing and a prayer'. Well thats what I thought anyway. I agree with Chancer, the 75 year old chap was quite brave realise his mistake and go back. It is a known fact that some Brits go back, normally as a couple, because they miss their family and grandchildren so its not exactly something new and really its the sort of thing you need to think off long and hard before moving over.

Other than that I wish this new 'charity' well and I am sure it may help some people.

[WAIFS 2010]

 I have deleted this post as it contravenes the forum Code of Conduct

Users may not post messages which are:

Are insulting, abusive, racist, sexist, or derogatory in any way to others, whether they are individuals or companies, users of the Forum or not. This includes material sent via personal e-mails through this forum.

Threaten, intimidate, victimise or harass others.

Make libellous comments about individuals or companies, including Living France magazine and FRANCE magazine

Waif you are welcome to post again, but its probably better that you gloss over the specifics of the case in question.

Thankyou

Russethouse

[LEO]

I don't read The Daily Mail and I don't often read well written letters by first time posters ,especially when they are posted word for word on other forums.

[Russethouse]

 I'm sure someone took a while to think up the acronym Waifs, but doesn't it have rather unfortunate connotations: rather dickension and making any one in need of assistance feel utterly helpless and useless I should think.[:(]

Couldn't this organisation think of a name that inspires a bit more of a 'Can do' feeling ?

 

[mint]

I'v been sitting on my hands not to post about the name, RH.

WAIFS and STRAYS:  it's the partner that strays and the waifs that are left behind?  Sorry!

[Just Chris]

I don't read The Daily Mail and I don't often read well written letters by first time posters ,especially when they are posted word for word on other forums.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leo.

www.vianormandy.com

___________________

Which begs the questions, what DO you read, then, and if you don't read well-written comments, how do you know that they exist on this (or any other) forum?

Just wondered...

[Russethouse]

There are a lot of things she can help with including legal advice from a Notaire, Avocat, Insurance man, Doctor and financial advisor.

Is this going to be a commercial enterprise ?

[PatHCA]

If I retire to France, as I eventually intend ,there's a very good chance that I will  be alone.I certainly wont be a WAIF, as well as the dickensian ,woe is me sound to it ,the name doesn't diferentiate between the women left alone in France and those alone by choice.

[woolybanana]

Those left alone are perhaps 'waifs' and those alone by choice are 'strays'?

[mint]

Careful, Wools, they might start rounding up the strays?

[cooperlola]

Well, WAIFS, may I suggest that anybody who needs help and support posts on here - we will not discriminate against them on the grounds of their sex, for a kick off (well, most of us won't!)

[Keni]

It's a pity I did not know about this group before now - a friend of ours was deserted after she and her children followed the husband to France to 'live his dream'. There was a fire and they lost everything, the day after the fire she and the children were left behind with nothing as he went back to England to his girlfriend! After several years of struggling- she has now a bit of financial help but is leaving France as she can no longer cope.She could really have had that help through having to struggle and make sure the children were safe and settled.

[Kitty]

[quote user="Keni "]It's a pity I did not know about this group before now - a friend of ours was deserted after she and her children followed the husband to France to 'live his dream'. There was a fire and they lost everything, the day after the fire she and the children were left behind with nothing as he went back to England to his girlfriend! After several years of struggling- she has now a bit of financial help but is leaving France as she can no longer cope.She could really have had that help through having to struggle and make sure the children were safe and settled.[/quote]

That is a sad story.  All support groups are to be welcomed for whomever they are.

[Keni]

I agree - however now what worries me for my friend is that having to come back to the Uk she will have to start to fight for her benefits all over again surely, as she was resident in France for a couple of years. So she will lose the Child Benefit in France - which took 18 months to get and the housing benefit, which she has just got. We are supporting her though as much as we can and hope the Uk benefits lot look to her situation kindly!

[just john]

[quote user="sweet 17"] I've been sitting on my hands not to post about the name STRAYS? [/quote]

Sorely Tried, Retired And Yet Survives[8-|]

[mint]

JJ, I'm trying not to giggle because I don't think laughter will do down very well.  But I shall, from now on, always think of STRAYS as an acronym.

[WAIFS 2010]

 Sadly on this forum as is the norm it appears, the I am alright Jack brigade response is to mock anyone trying to help others less fortunate. What do they get out of feebly attempting  to cast doubt or trying to find "the angle" As usual all that you do is lose sight of

what is relevant or actually happening.

WAIFS 2010 is a very apt name for anyone who takes the trouble to think before they post and as for those who have not asked if they could actually help in any shape of form, or who does not need the teams help, your opinion is irrelevant is  it not? WAIFS 2010 is getting stronger by the day and

had another article printed in Crueze last week and the president of the Consiel General fo example was full of praise for our efforts and assured us nothing like this has been done before and is giving us a lot of up to date information to use and inform people with genuine needs.so people do want to

hear about us and we are there to help and advise.

There is more information being worked on by our Avocat and Notaire and this will be released soon on the wordpress site and a lot is happening for the next phase which is why a real morale boost from someone who sent the following makes it all worth while and the people who are so distrustful and negative are not deemed to be important. Now WAIFS 2010 email address is not up and running and is for sensible people, requiring help or offering it and not please for more silly comments. Meanwhile read the follow-on and I think it tells a lot about what real people feel and not the mutterings of those who perhaps are only too pleased they are not in some of the WAIFS 2010 shoes. Who wrote the difference between good and bad is a good man acts and a bad one sits and does nothing? Oh yes I remember it is in the Bible the good Samaritan, helped and the others passed by and did nothing didn't they, which is what a lot of posters on this forum have done to date I hasten to add perhaps you will enjoy the following..

To borrow a word from Gordon Brown,And that word is BIGOT.

 

Today the DM is running an

article about three women who moved to France for a better life,

and found themselves abandoned by their husbands/partners when the

going got tough. The story of the breakdown of the three women’s relationships

and the resulting dire situations in which they now find themselves is

condensed into less than 2,500 words.  There is no suggestion that any of

these women did anything other than what thousands of others have done – seek a

better life for their families in France.The vitriolic, spiteful readers’ comments directed at them astonishes me. Serves

them right. They didn’t plan. They didn’t speak the language. How can

these bigots believe they have the authority to pass judgement on people they

don’t know, based on nothing more than a superficial article? Are those

judgmental people aware that at least one of these women was savagely beaten by

her husband before he ran away? Did she deserve that because she couldn’t speak

fluent French? One woman was criticised for having a dog and wearing a decent

dress! Perhaps she should have wrapped herself in a bin bag? How does the

person who made that complaint know that the dress wasn’t given to her by a

friend, bought from a second-hand shop, or given to her by a charity?The point of the article was that these women were abandoned, dumped,

deserted, in a foreign country, by men who cleared out the bank account and ran

away, leaving them to fend for themselves and their children. And fending for

yourself in France is quite a different game to what it is in England. It’s an

almost hopeless struggle against red tape, prejudice, and high unemployment.

The property market in France is stagnant, flooded with properties that have

seen their prices plummet in the last two years. Selling a house is even more

difficult than finding gainful employment. For the time being, these women are

stuck here unless friends or family are able to help them to move back to

Britain. They are not criminals, they’re victims.

[woolybanana]

Personally, as I hinted before, I will only take you seriously when you admit that the problem is not exclusively women who are left on their own by partners who bugger off and leave them to deal with it alone. Get the balance right please. You should also admit the criticisms and comments of others as they could be very helpful in the long term.

[Russethouse]

 I'm sorry Waifs 2010, nothing you have said persuades me that Waifs is anything but an unfortunate acronym - for goodness sake can't a group of intelligent women think up something a little more inspiring and less victim like ?

In fact you actually say 'They are not criminals, they’re victims' and there for me is the rub, you are only a victim if you allow yourself to be, for goodness sake stop making women in this situation feeling worse and even more helpless, your intention to offer practical help is great, but why not build on that instead of giving people the impression that you are almost licensing these women, in an already bad enough situation,  to feel helpless ?  They need  encouraging toward a 'Can do ' attitude, not 'poor me' even if it is 'baby steps'

Women are strong and resourceful, in all sorts of adverse situations, empowering them is one thing, naming them after a dickensian name for the dregs of society is not helpful IMHO.

Who wrote the difference between good and bad is a good man acts and a bad one sits and does nothing? Oh yes I remember it is in the Bible the good Samaritan, helped and the others passed by and did nothing didn't they

Frankly that's judgemental and insulting, you have no idea what forum members have done to help a friend or neighbour, just because they didn't get involved in your group, does it count less ?

 

 

[mint]

RH, if I weren't on the waggon, I'd raise a glass to  you!  Well spoken.....Well, cheers anyway [B]

[Chancer]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

 Women are strong and resourceful, in all sorts of adverse situations, empowering them is one thing, naming them after a dickensian name for the dregs of society is not helpful IMHO.

[/quote]

Far stronger than most men in my experience, I agree with everything that you say.

I cant explain why but I have a gut feeling that Waif 2010 is one of the women mentioned in the article, the first one photographed.

She has a very aggressive and confrontational way of communicating, for a victim................

Still she wants publicity and thats what she has got, 356 replies to the article before they closed the doors.

[Gardengirl]

Well said, Russethouse. That post made me so cross.

Silly name for a group, and what a poor representative they have to state such views of people who have posted here. With so many good causes needing help, who would wish to choose them?