On April 4th, Carmen, Selma, Silviu, and I headed to CPSE Liège for a day that went far beyond a standard awareness session. As an ESC volunteer, I’m used to new experiences, but this session was special. We weren’t just there to talk; we were there to bridge the gap between “theory” and “reality” for the people who are shaping and will shape the next generation of our community: social studies students, educators and youth workers. The energy was infectious from the start. We didn’t just show them inclusive tools; we put them to work. This hands-on approach is vital because true inclusion starts with understanding the lived experience.

• Exploring Tactile Play: It was eye-opening to watch the students realize how a simple game changes when you rely on touch rather than sight.
• Navigating the Streets: We took the training outside, teaching the “human guide” method and white cane techniques. There is a profound shift in perspective that happens when you have to trust a partner to navigate the sidewalk (it builds a level of empathy that a textbook simply can’t provide).

The most important part of my day was the incredible exchange we had with the participants! We talked and exposed the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) opportunities for young people and the participants had so many questions about our projects, especially regarding my and Silviu’s journey as volunteers. By sharing our path we showed them that international opportunities are for everyone! Often, young people with disabilities or fewer opportunities feel that traveling abroad or volunteering in another country is a closed door – not only because of physical barriers but also due to socio-economic ones. They may never even apply because they don’t believe these programs are “for them”. But educators, teachers, youth workers are the frontline to open them! By sharing the possibilities to the youth, you aren’t just giving them a brochure: you are giving them the tools to gain independence, confidence, and be part of a global community they might never have dreamed of reaching!

Sofia Mangiaterra

Throughout the afternoon, the park was filled with music, performances, and a wide range of family activities. At our stand, we had the opportunity to share information about our work, offer inclusive games adapted for children with and without disabilities, and speak with families and visitors about the importance of participation and equal opportunities for all young people.

It was a real pleasure to meet so many members of the local community and to exchange ideas around inclusion and accessibility in such a friendly and open setting.

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by, and to the organisers, La Baraka ASBL and the Coordination Socioculturelle de Sainte-Marguerite (CSCSM), for inviting us. We look forward to the next edition!

On September 7th, the Fête de Quartier Sainte-Marguerite took place in Saint Agathe Park in Liège. Visitors enjoyed a barbecue, bar, animations, face painting, games, and an open-air cinema screening in the evening.

My involvement in organizing this event began several months earlier, as I, representing Coordination Socio-culturelle de Sainte-Marguerite (CSCSM), attended planning meetings with Alain, where I also represented VIEWS International.

The day was long and intense because I divided my time between the stands of the Groupe d’Action Social et Scolaire (GASS) and VIEWS International. At the GASS stand, along with two educators – Elise and Mariama – we organized a duck fishing game and a fruit blind test. For every six ducks caught, children received a chance to draw a small prize, making it one of the most popular attractions. Understandably so, as it’s hard to ignore the huge blue table with colorful ducks swirling around an artificial island. A big thank you to Patribe and Pierre from La Baraka for helping to set up the stand and finding balance on the park’s famously uneven ground. Anyone familiar with Sainte Agathe Park knows what I mean!

Meanwhile, at the VIEWS stand, along with Patricia, Sara, Or, and Anca, we talked about the organization, shared our volunteering experiences, and led games adapted for people with visual impairments. Participants wore blindfolds, and we even offered a demonstration on how to walk with a white cane.

I love participating in events like this, where I get to step into new roles, such as presenting and promoting the work of organizations whose values I align with. Since I’ve already had experience with setting up the VIEWS stand at another awareness raising events, I felt much more confident and was more at ease while talking to interested people about our activities. Working at the GASS stand and animating activities for children is still new to me, but thanks to a great team, we managed to create one of the most engaging attractions of the event.

It was especially nice to see people I’ve met through my work in Liège visit me at the VIEWS stand, from children drawn in by the games, to teenagers stopping by to say hello, and even adult colleagues from GASS, CSCSM, and other ASBLs who were curious about Views International’s work. I also found some time to visit neighboring stands and collect a few free books.

I believe the greatest strength of this event was that organizations united by their local presence, rather than by the type of work they do, came together in a shared space. This allowed us to reach new audiences, with attendees learning about organizations they may never have encountered before. Plus, the weather was perfect, and the family-friendly atmosphere, typical of this city, kept both organizers and participants in good spirits. We’ll see you next year!

In this discovery journey, guided by blind and partially sighted service people, you will be able to explore the full potential of your senses, and focus on smell, taste and touch to unlock a new and unexpected way to experience food and its flavours.

But this is also a sharing and awareness experience: you will be you will be able to and get an insight of the daily experience of a person with visual impairments, and share your impressions with the other participants and with the guides, who are available to answer your questions.

More information on the event

Each experience will accommodate 35 people, participants will be guided and served by volunteers with visual impairments.
The price for toast, starter, mains and dessert is 30€ for adults and 20€ for children. We also offer vegetarian options upon request!

What former participants and volunteers had to say about the previous editions

“The dinner was delicious. It was really amazing to taste different dishes in the dark and to try to guess what they were. […] It was a really wonderful evening and I thank the team for their good work, which enabled us to share this wonderful time together.”

– Clementin, a sighted guest

“We stayed at the restaurant until late, chatting about disability and what should be done to foster integration. […] I would like to thank the organizers for giving me the opportunity to meet wonderful people, to get new perspectives and to get involved in such a fruitful evening.”

– Larisa, a Romanian Erasmus student in Brussels

“This experience helped me to really understand visually impaired people’s way of life. […] The atmosphere during the dinner was a surprise for me. People were not at all shy and talked a lot to each other. At a certain point, they even refused to have the light back on!”

– William, a sighted helper from Belgium

Learn more about the event!

For more info about our Dinners in the Dark, check out our stories from some of the previous editions:

• Dinners in the Dark 2019
• Dinners in the Dark 2016

The Province of Liège counts more than 3600 different organisations and this event offers the necessary visibility for them to encounter local volunteers in order to support these organizations to achive their objectives.

The event was open by Mrs Katty Firquet, MP, who stressed the importance of volunteering activities for the general wellbeing. Providing time and skills on a regular basis for a cause that you care about might improve your mental abilities and impact positivly on your helth conditions. Moreover, you can include this experience in your CV and thus enrich your chances in finding your dream job.

As for the participation at 2020 edition of Volunteering Fair, we observed that the majority of visitors were young people on the first day and on the second day, more adults were looking for volunteering opportunities. Compared to previous years, this year’s attendance was quite low. The volunteer fair brought 76 organisations. VIEWS International was present; this opportunity allowed us to talk to increase visibility for our association and it’s activities. During the event, there were also parallel event like conferences and activities on subjects like disabled people in sport or awareness raising sessions.

We hope that some of the persons we met will get involved in our activities. We are also full of faith the epidemic of Covid-19 will end in near future and the next edition of Volunteering Fair will bring more people willing to volunteer.