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

Hi, my name is Caroline. I’m a 23-year-old Belgian who has just completed her studies in oceanography. I was looking for a volunteering project to do a gap year when I heard about the European Solidarity Corps. I quickly found a project that allowed me to engage in outdoor activities, thanks to the Lava Legato association, located in the Netherlands. They offered me a 10-month project on a biodynamic farm called “Urtica de Vijfsprong”, in the countryside near Zutphen (close to Apeldoorn). I quickly fell in love with Zutphen and its landscape.

I have been living in a house with three roommates for a month now. We have a lot of fun together, both at home and when we visit places. I’m really glad to be with them.

Four times a week, we cycle 45 minutes to go to the farm, where we can take part in different activities according to our preferences. 

I chose to spend two days a week in the garden, where we grow different vegetables. I dedicate two afternoons a week to a wool workshop, where we create wool decorations in a cosy atmosphere. I help one morning a week in a barn where we take care of many cows and calves, as well as chickens and pigs. Finally I devote one morning a week making dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and others. This manual activitiy, mostly outdoors, does me a lot of good.

We do these activities with people with intellectual disabilities, some who are employees, but also retirees and others who come as volunteers. I’m excited to connect and learn from people with backgrounds and experiences very different from mine.

The people here are really open-minded, and we are encouraged to engage at our own pace, together, without any pressure. As a Belgian who does not speak Dutch, I’m happy to receive lessons and have the opportunity to learn this language to help me integrate into Dutch culture, and to carry this knowledge forward for future experiences.

I’m really happy with my project and look forward to seeing how it evolves!

Caroline

On Thursday, 4 December, Sofia, our ESC Volunteer, attended the European Day for People with Disabilities (EDPD) 2025 in Brussels at the European Commission.

During the day, she participated at the two panels, enriched by personal testimonies, informative presentations, and engaging exchanges. From the opening greetings, it was clear that the space was intended for reflection and for taking responsibility – not only personally, but also institutionally – toward concrete action.

The first panel in the morning, Forging Ahead: The Next Chapter in Implementing the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021–2030, offered a deep immersion into discussions that strengthened the shared mission of building an inclusive future, not only on words but also on tangible actions, policies, laws, and strategies that can be realistically implemented.

The testimony of Nicole Sophia Marinos was particularly moving. She explained how “inclusion gave her a voice, exclusion the determination” emphasizing how the environment shapes both inclusion and exclusion. A supportive environment, she noted, places no limits on potential.

The morning session prompted reflection on key challenges: independent living, mobility, political participation, media representation of disability, discrimination, and employment. As Markus Schefer highlighted that to change a society that was designed to be uninclusive takes time, but the effort must continue.

During lunch and coffee breaks, Sofia had the opportunity to meet and speak with other representatives from European associations and organizations, sharing insights and exchanging ideas. She observed how the common mission connects people not only in intentions, places, and events, but also through concrete actions and initiatives.

In the afternoon, Panel 2, Funding the Union of Equality: Towards a Disability-Inclusive EU Budget, opened with the empowering testimony of Patrick Luypaert about his successful experience as an inclusive employee. He shared that in his workplace, he is no longer seen as “a person with a disability who works on computers, but just a person working on computers”.

Following the panel, the Q&A and discussion provided another valuable opportunity to deepen understanding of both personal and national challenges, as well as the shared commitment to negotiate, act, and promote inclusive practices. The session highlighted how collective efforts can help shape a more inclusive Europe.

For Sofia, attending her first European event was highly motivating. She returned with a stronger commitment to listening, understanding, and contributing to meaningful change.

By Sofia Mangiaterra