Popi, Popa, Popaie

Program to Promote Senior Citizens’ Participation in Childcare Institutions (POPAIE)

Families and children in the L network, parents and grandparents, students, as well as all organizations serving seniors. Finally, anyone open to and interested in intergenerational issues.

At the Clos-de-Bulle daycare center in Lausanne—which is part of the Fondation Crèche de Lausanne—it all began with the desire to bring together multiple generations in a space where people could meet, interact, and forge intergenerational bonds between children, seniors, parents, and educational staff. The Popaie program began in 2004 with the goal of transforming the daycare center into a multidisciplinary, multicultural, and multi-age gathering place. A sort of “Agora” where inclusivity and diversity are cultivated, bringing varied perspectives and skills, but above all, a sense of complementarity to our support for the children in our care. Some Popaies have been with us since the project’s inception and have supported us with the same passion and motivation for nearly 20 years. They are an integral part of the daycare center’s identity. (We currently have only women on staff, a result of the random twists and turns of life’s journeys). There have been changes, of course, but the structural foundation of the experience remains true to itself and adapts to survive over time. It is, therefore, a living project in that it adapts to changes in order to thrive and renew itself. The Popaies come to the daycare at fixed, predefined times during the week (always on the same day and always at the same times). To become children among children once again, to share with peers, to interact with and support the staff, and to meet, discover, and engage with diversity! To celebrate Popaie’s 10th anniversary, we commissioned the creation of a story from the Lausanne-based artists “Plume&Pinceau.” This book, titled *Popi, Popa, and Popaie*, tenderly recounts the experience of intergenerational encounters between the Popaies and the children. For the project’s 20th anniversary, we’d like to revise the story and print it in the Kamishibai format, which will bring a fresh perspective and help ensure the project’s legacy endures even longer. Our project aims to publish multiple copies of the book “Popi, Popa, Popaie” and distribute them to community centers (CVE) in the city of Lausanne, libraries, and cultural centers in order to foster and facilitate discussion on promoting a culture open to intergenerational interaction. The Kamishibai format will allow the Poapaies facilitators to visit these institutions and engage with children from other daycare centers by reading the story in a more “theatrical” style. Revisiting the book “Popi, Popa, Popaie” would allow us to give this project a voice, spread it on a larger scale, and ensure its long-term sustainability. It would also allow us to acknowledge the hard work and generosity of our Popaies and, above all, to encourage other institutions to embrace intergenerational projects. We are fully convinced that promoting intergenerational projects can greatly contribute to a positive shift in society’s attitude toward our elders, fostering lasting awareness and opportunities for connection. The distribution of “Popi, Popa, Popaie” would, among other things, create opportunities for exchange among care facilities and break down barriers between different institutions to foster a shared reflection on promoting intergenerational culture. Finally, the book *Popi, Popa, Popaie* is intended for all those families who have had to leave their countries of origin and, in doing so, leave behind their firsthand experience with intergenerational relationships. We have many children who are not fortunate enough to meet their grandparents and who, as a result, do not have the opportunity to interact with older people. Intergenerational encounters foster a spirit of solidarity and help create bonds that extend beyond institutions!

Clos-de-Bulle Daycare Center, Effective August 10, 2023, new address: Riant-Mont 13, 1004 Lausanne. Starting in August 2025, we will be back at 7 Rue du Clos-de-Bulle, 1004 Lausanne. Director: Ms. Sabine Valentino: 021 312 25 77 Popaie Project Manager: Ms. Giuseppina Billé

January–July 2025 o Meetings, discussions, and project setup with Plume&Pinceaux and the team of Popaie coordinators September–December 2025 Online announcement of the publication “Popi, Popa, Popaie” with proposed events for the book’s presentation. Distribution of the story to Lausanne’s community centers (CVE), libraries, Crede, Esede, museums that may be interested in the project, and cultural centers.

3,000