Nicole Rein, 62, is very concerned about the health problems of many young people living in the slums of big cities in France. She came to New York to ensure that her long struggle to combat lead poisoning, a disease prevalent among street kids, would lead to concrete results.

Mrs Rein is French of Jewish origin.and lived through the horrors of the World War II. In 1943, when she was only seven years old, her family had no choice but tp to leave France. Using false identification papers, they escaped and went to Morroco. Two years later, they returned to France but the trip was treacherous. They were put in jail, released and then had to travel in freight trains often having to conceal their identities.

Upon returning to Paris, Mrs Rein completed her studies. In 1958, she was called to the Barreau de Paris (the Bar) and shortly after, when she was 23 years old, fulfilled her dream by becoming a lawyer. For the last 40 years, she has worked with immigrants and with other marginalized groups. She finds it shocking to see so much poverty and so believes in the importance of speaking out for those in need.

She has been a member of a housing rights association since1990 and helps the poor particularly young people find a decent place to live in. In France, most of the housing was built before 1914 and is covered with lead-based paint making it hazardous to human health. Lower-income families and youth generally live in those buildings. Children are the most sensitive to the ill effects of the lead paint which carries higher risks among children than adults. Those who experience lead-poisoning due to the paint will feel the after-effects for the rest of their lives. In France alone, more than 70,000 young people are exposed to these risks.

Mrs Rein with the help of various students and unemployed people participate in protests and squat in vacant buildings in an attempt to save them to house families at risk. According to her, everybody should have the right to live in a decent apartment. The same problem also exists in Canada however people don't talk about it. That doesn't hide the fact that many young people live in slums.

Mrs Rein plans on retiring soon but she won`t let anything stop her in her struggle. She will continue to be active to help the youth of tomorrow. She hopes, by coming to New York to speak out for youth and families, her message will be not only be heard but also listened to. Environmental concerns affect each and everyone of us -- it affects our health and our future.