As we reach the final stretch of the year, I hope each of you can quiet moment to pause and breathe – because if 2025 has shown us anything, it’s that life doesn’t always slow down when we want it to. Still, there’s something comforting about looking back together and recognising how far we’ve come.
For us at VIEWS, this year felt like a roller coaster. The first months were quite tough. We were juggling new projects, ongoing commitments, impossible deadlines, and, on top of that, we were missing the expereinced hands we needed. It often felt like we were trying to build the plane as we were flying it. But then came the turning point. As summer ended and our team finally became complete again, things started to settle. Challenges stopped feeling like mountains, and we found ourselves back on solid ground. Today, we feel more aligned, more connected, and more confident about where we’re heading.
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
