agap2dream: three Agapians and their projects with a social impact
What would you do if you could make your dreams come true? The 4th edition of agap2dream is coming to an end, but the momentum it created continues. Since 2020, this agap2 programme has brought our employees’ ideas to life, supporting three community-orientated, cultural, artistic or environmental projects each year. Three projects, three ambitions, three dreams come true thanks to the same driving force: the desire to act.
Three stories that leave their mark
- Rémy: bouncing back to keep education alive in Togo
- Michael: climbing Mount Toubkal, overcoming the limits of disability
- Auguste: recycling plastic waste into useful objects
Auguste: from plastic waste to 3D innovation for a second life
An ambitious project born of a desire to combine innovation, recycling and practical use. For him, this adventure was above all a personal and technical challenge. He came up with a device for recycling plastic waste from 3D printers, giving a second life to a material that is often forgotten.
”Initially, I simply wanted to test the recycling of household waste. As the idea gradually took shape, I turned to 3D printer plastics. It was challenging, but exciting: we had to get organised, solve little problems as we went along, and structure the idea to make it a reality.”
Behind the project, Auguste talks above all about a human adventure: ”Feeling useful, talking to associations and seeing their interest in the project was a great feeling. I felt proud to have come up with this project.”
Today, he is looking further ahead: ”I'd like to continue, make the process even more qualitative and why not extend it to other types of waste.”
This experience taught him to organise himself better and to dare to put himself forward: ”I'm not a great salesman, but going out to associations, explaining my idea... it forced me to step out of my comfort zone.”
And for those who are hesitant to take the plunge, his advice is: “You have to structure your idea and persevere. The path isn’t always the one you imagine, but step by step you make progress, and that’s the main thing.”
Rémy: how he turned a bar into breaks supporting education in Togo
When Rémy submitted his agap2dream project, his ambition was to open a community bar in Paris to finance the activities of his association Le Zèbre Jaune in Togo. A place of community support where the profits would help to improve the learning conditions of Togolese children.
But the reality on the ground soon became clear: ”The search for premises turned out to be much more complicated than expected. I wasted a lot of time and that slowed down the launch of the bar.”
Rather than give up, Rémy chose to bounce back. Supported by agap2, he organised tasty snacks on the agap2 premises to support his project. It was a simple but effective idea that enabled him to publicise his association and its projects, and to raise awareness to his cause among Agapians.
”These gourmet breaks were a great opportunity to showcase what we do. The help we got from agap2dream really enabled us to take action and create momentum. And since then, we have made tangible progress.”
Thanks to these efforts, Rémy was able to carry out a humanitarian mission in Togo. On site, he met pupils from the school he supports and brought them school supplies.
”What struck me most was their resilience. The children go to school in very basic buildings, sometimes simple shacks, but they come with smiles on their faces, motivated to learn.”
This experience deeply strengthened his commitment: ”When you see that, you can’t stop. It almost becomes a moral duty to continue to help them.”
Et bien sûr, l’ouverture du bar associatif en France reste un objectif central pour assurer la pérennité du projet. The next stage is already in preparation, with the association planning to send a 20-foot container of equipment to Togo by 2026 to further improve learning conditions for pupils. And of course, the opening of the community bar in France remains a key objective to ensure the project’s long-term future.
Michael: climbing Mount Toubkal, overcoming the limits of disability
Through his project, Michael wanted to combine a desire to surpass oneself and inclusion by accompanying young people with disabilities to the summit of Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa.
”It was very positive from a human point of view. Between the idea and the moment when you achieve it, there’s a whole path made up of physical, mental and emotional challenges.”
Supervising young participants, some with limited physical ability, was a major responsibility: ”The youngest were 12 or 13, so we had to be vigilant. But the moment they reached the summit was unforgettable: their eyes lit up everything. They didn’t even think they could do it.”
This climb has taught him a lesson in humility and conviction: ”When you believe in something, you always find the time to invest. You just have to be committed to your project and things start to happen around you.”
If he were to do it again, Michael would put more emphasis on communication: ”I would have liked to have seen the project promoted more, to have made it better known. But I’m not someone who likes to be in the limelight.”
And for him, this experience is far from being the last: ”I'd love to do it again. And if I could do it again with agap2dream, that would be a real treat.”
Find out more about his agap2dream project.
agap2dream, a springboard for commitment and impact
Through their projects, Rémy, Auguste and Michael remind us that daring to try is the first step to achieving. From environmental and social commitments to sporting challenges, each of them set out on their own path, guided by a desire to take action. And while this brings down the curtain on the 2025 edition of the agap2dream programme, it is above all a promise that other Agapians will in turn dare to take on new projects and continue this wonderful display of commitment.
Stay tuned, the videos of their projects will soon be available on our Linkedin page!
