Karibu is the name of the free smartphone application created by the NGO Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (BSF), a few months after the start of the war in Ukraine, to quickly familiarize people with the French language and culture in order to facilitate the integration of displaced populations. To help as many people as possible who have recently arrived in France, and soon in other countries in the BSF network, the application is now available in two languages: Arabic and Pashto. Another new feature is the "Working in France" section, with a first module on health and safety in factories.
Two years ago, the Russian army launched its offensive against Ukraine. As we mark this sombre anniversary, we must remember to help the victims of this war, as well as the millions of displaced people, many of them children. According to the United Nations, nearly 8 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the conflict. Nearly 100,000 of them have found refuge in France.
In this context, BSF and its partners have worked tirelessly to ensure that these populations continue to have access to culture, education and information - the links that enable them to escape for a moment, to continue to hope and to (re)build themselves despite everything.
These populations need to learn French very quickly in order to find their way around, undertake administrative procedures and simply integrate and project themselves. Until now, there has been no free, practical solution for learning French from Ukrainian and the Cyrillic alphabet. Now there is, with this free 100% mobile application, funded by the Rothschild Foundation and the Michelin Corporate Foundation. Available on Google Play and the App Store from February 28.
Its particularity lies in its learning method, which starts from the user's mother tongue and focuses on oral communication, enabling rapid acquisition of basic French skills for early autonomy. This practical approach complements traditional French as a foreign language (FLE) teaching.
The launch of the application is part of the "Emergency Ukraine" action plan that BSF has been implementing for the past six months, which includes the deployment of psychosocial support and emergency education spaces for refugees. The association has installed ten mobile libraries "Ideas Box"We have also set up fifteen "emergency libraries" in reception and accommodation centers in France, Belgium and Italy, and distributed bags of books in reception facilities, health centers, schools and youth centers.
Integration through language
The population migrations imposed by globalization and/or wars around the world are forcing individuals to adopt other approaches in their relations with others, and to develop a quality of flexibility to adapt to an unfamiliar environment.
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How do you cope when it comes to integrating, designing a migrant's career path and, indeed, being confronted with foreign languages? Our politicians often speak of " living well together We're talking about "managing migration flows". Aren't we talking about facilitating mobility, encouraging intercultural dialogue and developing multilingualism? These notions are at the heart of debates on social and professional integration, all the more so when it comes to evolving in an environment where the language is unfamiliar or completely unknown.
Knowing the language of the country where you're going to live is of prime importance, as the language you acquire is the vehicle for learning and the mediator of exchanges. The stakes are high, especially when it comes to finding a job and integrating into a new community. The language of the host country is crucial, albeit in very variable proportions, for adult migrants and children alike, especially in the case of long-term settlements.
New "Working in France" section Karibu: Developed in conjunction with teachers, the Karibu application offers non-French speakers the means to easily learn the basics for communicating on subjects such as administrative procedures, health and leisure activities, as well as writing a CV or preparing for job interviews.
Ambitions for 2024-2025 :
- New source languages: Bengali, Farsi, Turkish, English, etc.
- New vocational themes on jobs in short supply, to facilitate the professional integration of non-native speakers: hotel and catering, personal services, construction, etc.
- Extend the application to other countries to learn German, Italian, etc.
