Natalia and Diana project in Belgium – Fête Iberique

While being a volunteer of the European Solidarity Corps in Belgium, Natalia and Diana put in place their own initiative of solidarity. They organized a “Fête Iberique” !

Inspired by our nationalities and cultures -Spanish and Portuguese- we created an Iberian Day for the whole community: residents, educators, families, and the local community, including neighbours and children from the daycare integrated into the institution.

We designed activities around what we wanted to share about our cultures: the languages, music, traditional and characteristic symbols, fun facts, and, of course, the gastronomy. Each resident received a personalized “passport” outlining the journey they would follow throughout the event, ending with a communal snack and explaining what is the “European Solidarity Corps”. This passport, created by us, volunteers, also included a short description of what the European Solidarity Corps is and why we are doing our volunteering project at L’Essentiel.

Organizing the event we had the support of an educator from the residence who knows each resident’s personal development plan and capabilities. She helped us shape the structure of the activities, what to include, where to place them, how much time each should last, and what would be most engaging and suitable. We also collaborated closely with one of the speech therapists to ensure that all activities were adapted to the specific needs of each resident. For instance, she helped us adjust activities that required making choices or learning new words in other languages to be accessible to residents who do not communicate verbally.

Additionally, the coordinator of the educational team supported us with all material purchases and provided ongoing feedback throughout the planning process. Prior to the event, we had prepared all the visual materials and included the residents in this creative process: they helped design the party theme and flyers, cut and laminate the passports, and prepare various activity materials. On the day of the party, all educators were involved in carrying out the activities, decorating the space, and helping manage the schedule. The day started with decorating the common spaces, especially the living room, terrace, and garden, with the help of three educators. At the beginning of the day, the speech therapists explained to the team how the event would unfold.

We had five activities: Iberian Quiz, Face Painting, Musical Wheel, Language Challenge and Iberian Bingo.

There were five resident groups rotating between activities. Each activity was facilitated by one or two educators, and each group of residents was accompanied by an educator to support them in transitioning between activities and engaging throughout, considering the diverse needs of the participants.

“Organizing the Iberian Party was one of the most rewarding experiences of our ESC journey. We brought together the cultures of Portugal and Spain through traditional music, food, games, and dance — was unforgettable. Seeing everyone enjoy and connect with our heritage made us feel truly proud. It was a reminder of how volunteering is not only about giving, but also about sharing who we are. We came here to contribute, and we ended up creating memories that will stay with us forever.“

This initiative was supported along the CLIC project. C.L.I.C. for “Coordinating Locally in order to Increase More Changes with  the European solidarity Corps” is a cooperation partnership we participate  in with 9 other like-minded organisations from 9 European countries. Together, we want to increase the impact and the visibility of the European  Solidarity Corps in our communities, while providing young people with a  strong educational value along their volunteering projects.