Born of an intimate fidelity to Argentina and a refusal to feel powerless, Raíces Argentinas France makes culture a pathway to solidarity. From Paris, this association created by expatriates supports, with consistency, health, education, and integration projects. It acts for the benefit of the most vulnerable populations. A way to prove that, far from one’s country, one can continue to be useful to it.
When Culture Becomes Solidarity
Sometimes associations are born less from strategy than from moral necessity. Raíces Argentinas France belongs to that rare category. At its origin are two women: Maria Rosa Kemlin in Paris and Enriqueta Sugasti in Montreal. In the heart of the Covid years, they shared the same anxiety: how to help a country to which they remain irrevocably bound? From that question, long nurtured through their conversations, an association was born that is today part of the Franco-Argentine solidarity landscape.
Their ambition was nothing abstract. It was about helping Argentina’s most vulnerable communities, especially in rural areas. There, social fragility often combines with difficult access to healthcare, education, and professional integration. For this, Raíces Argentinas France made a simple and demanding choice. The association relies on rigorously selected Argentine partners on the ground, whose actions can be observed, monitored, and verified. The association claims few words, but decisive ones: commitment, solidarity, respect — with, subtly, a concern for effectiveness and longevity.
What perhaps further distinguishes this young organization is the form it has chosen to act. In Paris, Raíces Argentinas France raises funds, certainly; but it does so by showing, listening to, and sharing a bit of Argentina. Christmas campaigns, gatherings, benefit concerts: since 2024, the Maison de l’Amérique latine has hosted these evenings in Paris. Music there becomes memory, celebration, and fundraising. The third concert, L’Argentine en musique, was held on March 13, 2026. Through these events, the association does not only advocate a cause; it circulates a culture, a sensibility, a way of inhabiting the world.
Behind this action is a small, close-knit volunteer team with diverse profiles. There are also, in Argentina, decisive encounters with women and men who pursue immense work. It is probably there that the deepest truth of Raíces Argentinas France lies. Solidarity there is neither for show nor merely sentimental. It rests on a patient and faithful link between those who help and those who stand strong.
Interview With Raíces Argentinas France Co-Founder Enriqueta Sugasti, by Pierre-Antoine Tsady
Pierre-Antoine Tsady: How was the association born?
Enriqueta Sugasti: The idea emerged in 2019, at the time of the Covid lockdown. Maria Rosa Kemlin, in Paris, and I, Enriqueta Sugasti, in Montreal, were exchanging regularly. Over the course of our conversations, an obvious truth emerged: we could not remain passive in the face of the situation in our country, Argentina, to which we are deeply attached.
Gradually, this desire to act turned into a project. Other Argentine professionals living in France joined us, and that is how Raíces Argentinas France was born, in the form of an association under the 1901 law.
P.-A. T.: What is its mission, and what values guide it?
E. S.: From the start, we wanted to focus our action on Argentina’s most vulnerable populations, particularly in rural areas. Our priorities are health, education, and professional integration.
We work in close collaboration with local NGOs, which we select carefully. It is essential to us that their actions be concrete, verifiable, and aligned with our values.
These values can be summed up simply: commitment, solidarity, respect — to which we add a demand for effectiveness and sustainability.
P.-A. T.: What concrete actions do you carry out today?
E. S.: Raíces Argentinas organizes fundraising events. We began with crowdfunding campaigns, notably during the Christmas season.
Since 2024, we have also held benefit concerts at the Maison de l’Amérique latine in Paris, in support of rural pediatrics in the isolated northern regions of Argentina. On March 13, 2026, we organized our third concert, titled L’Argentine en musique.
P.-A. T.: Who is your audience, and how do you promote Argentine culture?
E. S.: Today, our audience is mainly French, but it also includes Argentines. We nonetheless aim to reach anyone sensitive to our cause.
Through our events, we also seek to bring Argentine culture to life: its music of course, but also its cuisine and symbols. This includes, for example, shared culinary moments or exhibitions, such as those dedicated to gauchos during a polo tournament organized with the Franco-Argentine Chamber of Commerce.
P.-A. T.: How does the public receive your initiatives?
E. S.: The support we receive moves us deeply. The audience’s enthusiasm at our concerts, their loyalty, and their generosity are a real source of motivation to continue our commitment.
P.-A. T.: How is the association organized on a daily basis?
E. S.: The association relies on a team of five people with varied professional backgrounds. Each person volunteers, contributing their expertise and time.
We work flexibly, with regular meetings organized as needed, notably via WhatsApp or videoconference.
P.-A. T.: What has this adventure taught you in the field?
E. S.: This adventure has brought us a great deal. It has allowed us to meet, in Argentina, remarkable people who, for years, have worked with very few resources to help marginalized populations.
We are currently supporting a project led by Dr. Gustavo Farruggia, which aims to train pediatricians specialized in rural medicine. The goal is to ensure a lasting medical presence in the most isolated regions and to improve the care of children.
We have also collaborated with the Temas Foundation, which does remarkable work with children, adolescents, and women in Villa 21-24, one of the largest shantytowns in Buenos Aires.
These encounters leave a deep mark on us. Being in solidarity with our most vulnerable fellow citizens transforms us and pushes us to become better people.
P.-A. T.: How can people support you today?
E. S.: It is possible to become a member of the association or to make a donation via our website: https://associationraicesargentinasfrance.org/
You can also contact us directly by email: raicesargentinasasso@gmail.com