Eid El Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, will be celebrated on Wednesday April 10 in most countries of the Muslim world. In Paris, some of the diasporas are working to send money to their loved ones back home, as with many Senegalese people met in the Château Rouge district and in Montreuil.
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Rue Myrha, in the historic district of the African diaspora in Paris, the shops are crowded. Ousmane Diallo fights his way out of a money transfer shop. In his hand, he holds a sheet of paper with the first and last names of one of his relatives on it. Senegal as well as a secret code: it is the receipt for the sum of 200 euros that he sent to his parents in Dakar. “ I prepared accordingly, I knew the party was in a month, month and a half, I put it aside and it was something I sent to help, he explains. As we are here, we think of the family over there, for whom it is a little hard. Whatever we can do to help, we do it, if only to share and make the party beautiful for everyone.. »
“ Every African who is there, he is the support of an entire family, of all your loved ones, in the countryexplains Ousmane Diallo. This is why sometimes we tighten our belts here to be able to help the country. When I say tightening one’s belt, it means depriving oneself of certain things that are not as vital, but everything that is vital that we have to do here, we do it.. »
Ousmane Diallo does not feel like he is depriving himself to the detriment of his loved ones in Senegal, even if despite all his efforts, he will not celebrate himself the Korité festivalfrom the name given in Senegal to the day which marks the end of Ramadan: “ I’ll be at work, I have a shift to do on the day of the party, but I’m used to that. But if they are happy (in Senegal), I am happy. »
A modest celebration in France to help the family in Senegal
In front of a butcher’s shop on rue de Paris, near Porte de Montreuil, Ibrahima Sarre waits for her turn to buy a few pieces of meat. He will modestly celebrate the end of Ramadan, also called Eid El Fitr: part of his savings, i.e. 600 euros, being intended for his wife and children living in Senegal.
“ I sent 400,000 CFA francs, or almost 623 euros with feeshe explains. Eid is like that, and we are in France to work and send things home. » Before continuing: “ I’m celebrating here, but I’m all alone. It’s sad, but we have no choice. And also the holiday, it’s something very important for us, it’s a big celebration for our culture, it’s the Muslim holiday too so here it is, I sent to the family, my wife, my children , cousins, cousins, aunts and that’s it. »
On this eve of the holiday, Ousmane Fall nonetheless forgets the spiritual aspect: “ If I add up everything I have to send, it’s around 500 euros. Anyway, that’s how it is. When you send money to someone, they are bound to send you blessings. That’s all we expect from them. »
This money will also be used to buy food, clothes and gifts for the little ones. More than a constraint, money transfers so that Eid El Fitr is beautiful and worthily celebrated in the country are a priesthood for Senegalese workers in Île-de-France