André Zahout, 50 years of volunteering in the service of others
André Zahout, a warm-hearted man, has just been made a knight of the Ordre national du Mérite for his 50 years of community volunteering. In...
IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS Thus, a letter signed by Sébastien Lecornu, dated December 10, officially announced this distinction, awarded on the proposal of the Premier ministre for community volunteering. The ceremony to present his insignia will make André Zahout a fully-fledged knight alongside the 187,000 awardees from all sectors of society. Sébastien Lecornu writes: "It is with great pleasure that I present to you, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Government, my most sincere congratulations."
For his part, général d'armée François Lecointre, chancelier de l'Ordre national du Mérite, wrote to him: "This recognition from the nation rewards the distinguished services you have rendered through your professional, community activity or your military service. It marks you out as a model of citizenship for our fellow citizens but also serves as an encouragement to continue your commitment to the common good."
DEDICATION Having arrived from Tunisie in 1970 with his mother, André Zahout quickly became involved in the local community by offering his services to Secours Catholique. In 1975, he received his first volunteering diploma, a recognition of his dedication to working weekends to help the most deprived.
In 1985, he founded the Restos du Cœur in Toulon. Thanks to his efforts, the association managed to serve up to 500 meals a day.
His commitment did not stop there! As of 1989, the Varois turned into a hospital clown to bring joy and comfort to sick children.
His work earned him the medal of the Conseil régional, presented by président Jean-Claude Gaudin. Indefatigable, he traveled to Roumanie twice for humanitarian missions, responding to a doctor's appeal to bring medical equipment.
In 1990, he met Alice Billet, in charge of welcoming newcomers in Toulon, and collaborated with Franck Fernandel, the son of the illustrious actor. In 1991, he was appointed honorary president of the G.
E. I. S. T, an integration group for children with Down syndrome, and became the youngest recipient of the Palmes académiques in France at 41 years old.
His volunteering career has been punctuated by numerous awards, including the silver medal from the Comité Humanitaire Culturel du Var in 1992 and the Palmes d'argent de la fédération du bénévolat in 2002.
VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT In 2014, he received the médaille d'honneur de la Justice, becoming the first conciliateur de justice in France to be so honored. After 23 years of conciliation, and still active, he is the longest-serving conciliateur de justice within the jurisdiction of the Cour d'appel d'Aix-en-Provence out of a total of 320 conciliators.
(There are currently 2,800 conciliateurs de justice in France). Indeed, this distinction is traditionally reserved for magistrates.
His collection of medals has grown over the years, with awards from several towns (médaille d'Or de la Ville de Solliès-Pont, médaille d'Argent de la Ville de Cuers) and several organizations for his unwavering commitment, notably recognized in 2017 with the médaille d'Or du bénévolat associatif (FFBA). Today, with 18,400 conciliation files to his credit, the man of justice continues to work for peace and understanding in conflicts.
He also never fails to make children smile, dressing up as Père Noël every year.
His journey illustrates the strength of voluntary commitment and the positive impact that a single person can have on their community.
Laurette PARAY. Photos from the private collection of André Zahout.