Alexandra Bataille, an educator specialising in working with young people living on the streets, is studying clinical psychology at the University of Paris. She completed her Masters placement in Kinshasa, working on our project, and more specifically in the reception centres for girls. She talks to us about this experience.

LC: How would you describe the psychological state of the young people you met?

The activities carried out by Louvain Coopération in Belgium are many and varied. Organised throughout the academic year, they aim to raise awareness in the academic world, particularly among students, of South/North imbalances, gender inequalities and environmental problems.

Depuis le mois de février, un tout nouvel escape game s’est installé à Louvain-la-Neuve. L’objectif ? Résoudre les énigmes disséminées dans Louvain-la-Neuve en un temps limité pour percer le secret d’une horloge maudite. Louvain Coopération, la Maison du Développement Durable (MDD) et l’UCLouvain ont uni leurs forces pour mettre sur pied ce projet qui, de manière ludique, nous permet de nous pencher sur les grands enjeux de notre planète.

Louvain Coopération is recognised by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation as a continuing education association. This means that we encourage and develop young adults' awareness and critical knowledge of the realities of society. We also strive to instil in them the ability to analyse, make choices, take action and evaluate, so as to foster attitudes of responsibility and active participation in social, economic, cultural and political life.

Why did Belgian farmers take to the streets en masse last January? How do our eating habits have a major impact on the lives of farmers on the other side of the world? We tackle these questions at our annual Uni4Coop activity: ‘DJESA’, or Half-Day Exchanges on Food Sovereignty.

In collaboration with Enabel's Be global programme, Uni4coop is organising a training module for agrégation students. We are looking at issues of inequality and discrimination and how the school environment can both reproduce and combat them. We are inviting students to consider their positions as (future) teachers and their roles in shaping new generations of citizens. In the light of an education that fosters critical thinking and openness to the world and to others, tomorrow's generations will be able to work towards a fairer and more equitable world.

In February this year, Carmelle Nezerwe, an anthropologist by training with a specialisation in international humanitarian action, joined our ECMS team, alongside Fiona Nziza and Juliette Delvaux. She will be sharing her time between Louvain Coopération and AMO La Chaloupe (see opposite), in order to increase collaboration between our two organisations.

Co-constructed with a collective of students from UCLouvain, Afrika United Kap, the Afro-Récits project looks at the invisibility of racial discrimination in society and at university in particular. It aims to support Afro-descendant student collectives in building opportunities for structural change towards a more egalitarian society.