Meet Marie
A Café, a Workshop, a Second Chance: Inside Maison Sourrire with Marie Laurini
At 91 rue de l’Alzette in Esch-sur-Alzette, right on the main shopping street, there is a café and a boutique. From the sidewalk, that is all you see. The building used to be a home décor shop. Today it is Maison Sourrire. And the café is only the front door.
Marie Laurini is the director of Sourrire ASBL. She started alone in 2019. A backpack. Sandwiches. Evening rounds, when every other structure was closed. A first place in Dudelange followed. It filled up fast. Too many people. Too many needs.
So she looked for a real place. Not a hidden one. Most social projects get pushed to the edge of town. Marie wanted the opposite: a beautiful space, in the center, on the busiest street. A place where you dream the moment you walk in.
Because Maison Sourrire is not a shelter. It is a workplace. People cook, serve, and create here. They learn a trade. Over one year, the team helps them all the way back to a real job. The boutique sells objects made on site. The café is open to everyone.
The place has been noticed. Grande-Duchesse Stéphanie visited in April 2026. The Minister of Labour, Marc Spautz, came in July to see the inclusion programs at work.
In this visit with She Said Yes!, Marie opens the doors to Maison Sourrire. We explore a space built around one simple idea: to help someone get back on their feet, you first need a place.
City
Esch sur Alzette
Date
August 2026
Photos & Video
She Said Yes!
SSY Welcome Marie! How did Sourrire start?
Marie I started alone, in 2019. A backpack. Sandwiches. I did rounds in the evening and on the weekend.
SSY Why evenings and weekends?
Marie Because that is when all the structures close. And that is when people are the most alone. At the beginning, it was just that.
SSY Then came a first place, in Dudelange. What happened there?
Marie It became too small, very fast. There were too many people. Too many needs. So we started looking for a real place.
SSY What were you looking for?
Marie I wanted a beautiful place. A place where you dream when you walk in. And I wanted to be here. In the center, on the shopping street.
SSY That is not where social projects usually end up.
Marie No. Often, social projects get hidden. They get pushed to the side. I wanted the opposite.
SSY The building used to be a décor shop. What do people see when they pass by today?
Marie They see a café and a shop. They do not guess the rest. And that is intentional.
SSY So what is the rest? What actually happens inside?
Marie Here, we do not pretend. There is a café, open to everyone. A boutique, with objects made on site. And above all, real work situations.
SSY What does that look like day to day?
Marie People cook. They serve. They create. They learn a trade. Cooking, logistics, cleaning, management.
SSY How long does the journey take?
Marie One year. We accompany people for one year, until they find a real job again.
SSY Who comes to Maison Sourrire?
Marie People who often do not fit in any box. Refugees. Families. People a bit bruised by life. We do not ask where they come from. We give them a place back. A reason to get up in the morning.
SSY And then what happens?
Marie Little by little, confidence comes back. You cannot rebuild someone’s confidence in the street. You need a place. Here, we welcome, we train, and we put people back to work.
SSY Last question. What would all of this be without the building itself?
Marie Without this place, there is no café. No workshop. No work. The place is what makes everything else possible.
Watch the full video
Marie Laurini takes us inside Maison Sourrire at 91 rue de l’Alzette. From the café to the boutique, from the kitchen to the workshops. A former décor shop turned into a place that puts people back to work.
Listen to the podcast
In the full podcast episode, Marie talks about starting alone with a backpack in 2019, why she refused to hide her project on the edge of town, and how a beautiful place changes what people believe about themselves.
Link here 👉 shesaidyes.lu/podcast/sourrire-marie-laurini
👉 See Also :
The full podcast episode with Marie Laurini
Inspiring stories on real estate, design and architecture on SSY! podcast.
Discover more Real Estate Inspiration Stories on how people shape their homes.
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