IRHOV (Institut Royal pour les handicapés de l’Ouie et de la Vue) is composed of two schools specialised in supporting young people with sensory impairments. As part of his volunteering, Jasper will contribute to inclusive educational and extracurricular activities for students with visual impairments, supporting both learning and participation in daily school life.

During his first days in Liège, Jasper had the opportunity to become familiar with his new environment, meet the team, and take his first steps into the project. He visited IRHOV, where he was introduced to the students and teachers, and began to understand the context in which he will be working.

As he shared:
“I was so pleased to see the new environment. During my first visit to the IRHOV schools where I will be volunteering, everyone was incredibly open and friendly. I have already met some of the students and teachers.”

Beyond the school, Jasper also connected with the VIEWS team and his fellow ESC volunteers, starting to build relationships that will accompany him throughout his experience. Together, they explored the city of Liège and discovered new places.

“I also met the welcoming team at VIEWS and my two co-volunteers. Plus, I got to explore the city. I saw so many new, beautiful places.”

As part of his introduction to the local ecosystem, Jasper also visited La Lumière, where he discovered a wide range of activities and workshops supporting independence and creativity for people with visual impairments. This visit offered an additional perspective on accessibility and inclusion beyond the school environment.

We are very happy to have Jasper on board and look forward to accompanying him throughout his volunteering journey in the coming months!

We had the privilege of supporting young participants as they expressed themselves through street art and a moving theatre piece. What made this experience unique was the seamless connection between art and nature; the group spent time exploring the stunning Ardennes surroundings through walks and outdoor activities, proving that inspiration is often found right under our feet.

Beyond the workshops, this week became a deeply personal journey for me. Seeing these young people so motivated, energetic, and sensible served as a powerful mirror. It reminded me of where I started, where I am now, and the core of my commitment to this path.

Observing how a local project with young people was organized and taking part in its activities was a remarkable example of the profound value of local communities in building and empowering their youngest members. Seeing local youth find their voice has strengthened a sense of motivation I already thought was at its peak!”

At the Jean Boets school, I am providing assistance during French classes, helping create fun and interactive activities to support language learning with non-formal approaches. I typically follow both an adult group and a class of younger learners from Monday to Tuesday, and I really enjoy experimenting with new ideas and methods. It is exciting to see how small changes in approach can make learning French more engaging and accessible!

At La Baraka, besides helping the team with the daily activities at the youth centre, Together with Pierre, one of the volunteers at La Baraka, I have also started developing an Erasmus+ project for the young people who attend the centre. For this project application I am supporting the writing process, bringing in my experience with Erasmus+ programmes. The goal is to submit a DiscoverEU project and, fingers crossed, get it approved.

Outside of work, I try to make the most of my free time. I go to the gym, spend time with friends around the city, plan future trips, and enjoy meeting new people.

Overall, my experience so far has been great. I feel supported in my tasks, which really helps me stay motivated and confident in what I’m doing.

I am visually impaired, but this does not prevent me from doing all kinds of activities. I enjoy them a lot.
So far I really like my job, I’ve met really nice people and I am very convinced that we will develop many new and exciting projects together.

And despite the rocky start, there were so many moments worth celebrating. We wrapped up two in-house projects that had been close to our hearts. We organised two beautiful events here in Belgium – a training course in March – Inclusion for all project with our friends at Loryhan asbl, and a study visit in Liège in May through the ACT-YOU project. Hosting people in our home city always brings a special warmth; it reminds us why we do this work.

One of the biggest highlights of the year was launching the VIPPSTAR project. This one feels special – not just because it’s innovative, but because it’s deeply human. VIPPSTAR is about giving young people with visual impairments and their families the tools, support, and confidence they need to navigate life and its challenges.

It brings together personalised interventions, digital tools, eLearning, and even avatars, all co-designed with the young people themselves guided by some of the most inspiring minds in Europe. At its core, it’s about empowerment, dignity, and preparing for a future where digital and real-life independence go hand in hand.

This year also brought the joy of sharing more podcast episodes – little windows into our projects and the lives of those who take part in them. Every episodes feels like a conversation with friends: honest, warm, and full of humanity. It’s a way for us to reach people far beyond any meeting room or event hall.

And of course, there’s a chapter of our work that always touches us deeply: the European Solidarity Corps volunteering projects. This year we welcomed four volunteers to Liège and supported four more on their journeys abroad. Watching volunteers grow, discover new sides of themselves, build confidence, and broaden their horizons is endlessly rewarding. Volunteering changes lives – every single time – and it reminds us why we believe so strongly in youth mobility and solidarity.

Towards the end of the year, we also kicked off four Erasmus+ KA2 collaborations, each in its own way opening new doors and possibilities. These projects target a wide range of groups – from young people to adults, with and without visual impairments – and reflect our belief that inclusion and learning should be lifelong and universal.

So, yes, 2025 brought its challenges, but it also brought progress, connection, and hope. It was full- sometimes overwhelmingly so – but full of meaning. And so we look toward 2026, we carry with us the lessons, the energy, and the renewed optimism that this year gave us. None of this could have happened without the ongoing support of our local and international partners, local volunteers, broad members and the extraordinary and dedicated office team!

Here’s to a new year filled with stability, insipiration and shared achievements.
And thank you – for walking this path with us. 

Anca David, Executive Director

Dates: 10 to 16 October 2025. Place: Durrës and Golem, Albania – close to the sea, with beautiful beach walks throughout the week. Programme: Erasmus+ ACT-YOU training on inclusion and active youth participation.

Why I was there

ACT-YOU (project number 2024-3-BE04-KA153-YOU-000279439 ) brings youth workers and youth leaders together to make everyday youth work more inclusive and practical. It develops skills for human rights, democracy, and peaceful coexistence, and builds a European network that lasts beyond the course.

Main objectives I worked on:

• Build a strong , cross-border network supporting young people with fewer opportunities;
• Strengthen daily youth work with locally rooted, usable methods;
• Design accessible, inclusive initiatives from the start;
• Share knowledge that directly benefits both youth workers and marginalised young people.

First dinner, first voices – and the sea nearby

After a long travel day, our first dinner was inside the restaurant at Hotel Prince. Not on the beach, but near enough to feel it. During the week we took calm, restorative walks along the shore. Those walks helped us reflect, connect, and breathe between sessions. Around me were voices from Belgium, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Norway, and Albania. From the beginning, it was the sound of people – accents, laughter, the rhythm of new names – that set the tone for the week.

Drawing clocks, meeting people – with support that felt natural

We used a simple “ clock ” game to meet each other . Because I am blind, a colleague helped me draw the clock – a quick, friendly gesture that made the exercise smooth and fair. Then it was my turn to do what I do best: listen.

At each “hour,” I met a new voice and answered a short prompt: What inspires you? What kind of music do you like? When did you last feel truly included?

The activity was short, human, and effective . It turned introductions into real conversations.

A simulation I will not forget

We ran a simulation on access, trust, and communication. We wore blindfolds and rotated through stations: body gymnastics using touch, balance, and breath; barbershop role-play with eyes closed; listening to “rain” created by the waving of paper, with relaxing music and a gentle massage; a perfect-square challenge: one blindfolded leader guided the team. Success depended on clear, respectful communication.

Simple activities. Safe conditions. Strong lessons. Inclusion is not theory; it is coordination, consent, and care in motion.

What we explored during the week

Key programme themes:

• What Inclusion and Diversity mean in Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps;
• Challenges when involving young people with impairments and fewer opportunities;
• What youth work means in practice;
• Best practices that travel across countries;
• Networking and partnership building;
• Drafting recommendations and planning dissemination so our results keep living;

Intended learning outcomes that matched our practice:

• Understand specific needs;
• Improve inclusiveness through non-formal learning;
• Use practical tools from the start;
• Strengthen communication and collaboration with young people and partners;
• Explore identity and human rights in a global context.

Intercultural night – stories I could taste

Counting the travel day as Day 0, our intercultural night was on Day 3.
It was generous, joyful, and proud.

Tastes and stories:

• Norway: Smash! chocolate (sweet, salty , crunchy ) and brunost (brown cheese from caramelised goat’s milk );
• Bulgaria: lukanka ( dry-cured , spicy , pressed salami), walnut cookies , and lokum (rose and strawberry );
• Poland: Ptasie Mleczko (“bird’s milk ”), a vanilla marshmallow covered in dark chocolate .
• Slovenia: homemade elderberry juice;
• Belgium: a quiz and a clear walk-through of our famously complex political system;
• Romania: pride in their World Cup story in the USA in 1994. There was also a beautiful solo by Monika from Bulgaria.

One voice. A quiet room. A shared emotion.

Inclusion in the city – what must change

Durrës and Golem are beautiful. They are also honest about access. Roads and sidewalks were often not accessible, and independent mobility could be hard without assistance. These realities did not discourage me; they clarified our mission to design access from the beginning, not as an afterthought.

Small moments that mattered

We found time to relax at an Irish pub. We had deep , philosophical conversations. We laughed when we were stuck in Albanian traffic, especially during a chaotic “would you rather” game. One evening, we all supported Albania in a match. There was no rivalry. We were guests, happy to cheer with our hosts.

It was light, respectful, and fun – the kind of joy that builds friendship.

Who made this possible Coordinator: VIEWS International AISBL (Belgium). Host: Peace Volunteering Network (Albania). Partners included: Sakura and Babilon Travel (Romania), ASBL Loryhan (Belgium), Polski Związek Niewidomych (Poland), CuBu Foundation (Bulgaria), Slovenian Association of Disabled Students (Slovenia), and Peace Volunteering Network Norway (Norway).

Accommodation : Hotel Prince, “Mali i Robit, Rruga e Fshatrave Turistike , Golem 2504.” Check-in after 15:00. Check-out before 11:00. Rooms were double or triple. We were invited to bring an item from home for the intercultural night.

What I brought home

I left with more than notes. I left with a network and a standard.

My standard now:

• Design accessibility early;
• Communicate clearly;
• Collaborate across borders;
• Keep human dignity at the centre.

These match ACT-YOU’s objectives and outcomes. I do not picture rooms when I think of this week.
I hear it: the laughter during the clock game, the hush before a song, the waves and the beach walks that helped us reflect, and the sound of people helping one another navigate.

Inclusion is not a favour. It is the most honest way to say: your voice belongs here.

Youssri Mejdoubi