KARIBU, the application to facilitate the integration of refugee populations through language

Created by the ONG Libraries without Borders  just a few months after the start of the war in Ukraine to allow populations displaced and hosted in France to quickly familiarize themselves with the language and culture, the KARIBU application continues to develop to respond to needs of more and more immigrants and refugees in France.

Accessible free of charge on smartphones, KARIBU offers a complementary educational approach to traditional French courses since the basic interface is in the user’s original language and focuses on understanding and oral practice through concrete exercises. For independent, quick and efficient handling.

For a new arrival in France, acquiring the linguistic and cultural foundations of their host country is essential to gain autonomy in daily life and prepare for professional integration.

In 2023, thanks to the financial support of the Michelin Corporate Foundation and with the support of the Clermont-based CeCler association, the application was notably enriched with the Arabic language.

During this project, Libraries without Borders with its FLE (French as a Foreign Language) educational experts but also with the support of Michelin employees also developed a new theme dedicated to hygiene and safety in factories for the “Working in France“.

Today, the application offers more than 50 modules organized into practical and professional themes. More than 15,000 people are learning French thanks to Karibu.

In 2024 and 2025, the Michelin Corporate Foundation renews its support to Libraries Without Borders for the development of KARIBU around three main objectives:

– the addition of a new language: English to French, because many immigrants are native English speakers or master English well enough to make the bridge to French;

– the development of two new professional themes on the hotel and catering professions as well as industry. On this occasion, Michelin employees from the ‘Red Guide’ and industrial experts will be invited to participate in the process of co-creating content and resources;

– the promotion of the application among target populations and its appropriation by social actors throughout France.

“With KARIBU, our ambition is to create bridges between languages ​​and cultures so that the integration of foreign people in their host countries is beneficial to society as a whole. Access to employment plays a vital role in empowerment and therefore self-esteem, which is very often undermined by migratory journeys.” Jérémy Lachal, general director of Libraries without Borders.

Augustin Trapenard, cultural journalist and sponsor of Libraries without Borders, went to meet KARIBU users: