On Saturday, 7 September, the Sainte-Marguerite neighborhood in Liège came alive with music, dance, and family-friendly entertainment during its annual fair, organized by La Baraka asbl and the Coordination Socio-Culturelle de Sainte-Marguerite.
VIEWS International was also there with a stand, engaging the community through adapted activities, interactive games, and conversations to raise awareness about visual impairment and accessibility. Kinga, one of our ESC volunteers, played an active role in the event and shared her personal experience in a blog, reflecting on her involvement and collaboration with local organisations.
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!
