Scientia et Educatio Naturam Sanitatemque Emuniunt
Science and Education Preserve Nature and Health
La Science et l'Éducation Préservent la Nature et la Santé
Projects Supported
2019 - 2021
Project country: Belgium
Grant period: 2019 - 2021
Since 1978, Le Bateau ivre - Maison d’accueil ASBL has been welcoming children and teenagers who have encountered serious difficulties in their family environments. This small shelter offers a welcoming environment to boys and girls between 18 months and 18 years old, where the key values of attention, respect and support are shared by the children, the pedagogical team and the volunteers. In the home, the children can find the serenity and strength to try and rebuild their lives. The team also works with the families so that they can maintain a relationship with their child, preparing, if and when possible, for their return to the family. When this is not possible, the Bateau ivre team accompanies the young person until they come of age, before helping them settle into adult life. In this warm and welcoming home, a strong focus is put on the children’s health and education, the main assets that will allow them to succeed in life. In 2019, thanks to a SENSE Foundation Brussels grant, the organisation built its own playground, complying with safety standards, and offered children a holiday in the Belgian countryside. In 2021, SENSE Foundation Brussels supported Le Bateau ivre to achieve one of its biggest goals: acquiring its own facilities in Brussels so the older children can live in semi-autonomy after they leave the home. http://www.lamaisondaccueil.be

Project country: DRC
Grant period: 2020 - 2021
The Centre KASALA is a non-profit organisation providing medical, psychological and social support in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. This centre contributes to sustainable development and the fight against poverty in the region, by supporting school projects through holistic interventions. In 2020/2021, thanks to the support of SENSE Foundation Brussels, the Centre KASALA provided water to the SAIO primary school, allowing the school’s 1,200 students to have access to drinking water at school. In addition, the project supported students with psychosocial and socioeconomic difficulties so they can stay in school and keep learning, thanks to the support of psychologists and volunteer social workers. https://www.pmscentrekasala.com/

Project country: Belgium
Grant period: 2020 - 2021
Ecole Hôpital et Domicile (EHD) brings together and supervises approximately 450 volunteer teachers who are ready to help sick children to continue their schooling despite being away from school. With the support of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, volunteers go to the hospital or to the young person's home, free of charge for the families. In 2020/2021, thanks to a SENSE Foundation Brussels grant, EHD was able to help more children to stay up-to-date with their schoolwork and to maintain their cognitive skills. Furthermore, it allowed these children and their families to think of something other than their illness. https://www.ehd.be/

Project country: Belgium
Grant period: 2020 - 2021
A non-profit social enterprise, La Ferme de Froidmont Insertion tackles the challenges of training and work, environmental protection and energy-efficient housing. Each year, 30 adults are trained to become kitchen assistants or organic gardeners. In order to meet Belgian demand, a dozen more market gardeners need to be trained. This will enable the organisation to self-finance the training in the long term. In 2020/2021, the support of SENSE Foundation Brussels allowed for the installation of a third greenhouse and its irrigation, making it possible to grow and train there every year from February to December. Especially in 2021, when the crops were impacted by the July floods, the greenhouse protected a significant part of the production from diseases and allowed the trainees to train under cover. Working from garden to plate, all production goes to restaurants, markets and vegetable boxes. Unsold produce is processed for use in the restaurant. The employment rate was 90% in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, 22,000 hours of actual training were completed. https://froidmontinsertion.be/

Project country: France
Grant period: 2019 - 2020
AgroParisTech is a higher education and research institute (“Grande Ecole”) which aims to address some of the main global challenges of the 21st century: feeding a growing population while sustainably managing territories, preserving natural resources, supporting innovation and integrating the bioeconomy. The AgroParisTech Foundation puts the work of AgroParisTech into practice. The Foundation brings a financial and educational sponsorship to projects through three programs: Apprendre! S’Engager! Entreprendre! In 2019/2020, SENSE Foundation Brussels supported the Learners' program (Apprendre) through 2 grants for international students from Brazil, 2 mobility grants for French government grant holders, as well as 4 emergency grants, which aimed to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://fondation.agroparistech.fr

Project country: France
Grant period: 2019 - 2020
CentraleSupélec, a public institution specialising in scientific, cultural and professional studies, was created by the merging of École Centrale Paris and Supélec in January 2015. Today, CentraleSupélec consists of 3 campuses in France. It has 4,300 students, 3,200 of which are engineering students, and includes 16 laboratories or research teams. CentraleSupélec is a reference centre in the field of engineering sciences and systems and a leading school in higher education and research, ranked among the best institutions in the world. CentraleSupélec is a founding member of Paris-Saclay University and chairs the École Centrale Group. Since 2019, SENSE Foundation Brussels funds 2 Sebastienne Guyot grants, which support female students in their engineering degrees at CentraleSupelec. They target motivated candidates facing financial difficulties and provide them with the best conditions possible to succeed in their studies. https://www.fondation-centralesupelec.fr

Project country: Bolivia, Trinidad and Tobago
Grant period: 2021 - 2024
Habitat for Humanity International is the world´s leading housing NGO. Since its foundation in 1976, Habitat has opened offices in more than 70 countries and helped more than 46 million people. It aims to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter by empowering people in the world’s poorest communities to overcome the chronic lack of decent housing. Its vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. In 2021/2022, the SENSE Foundation Brussels supported Habitat for Humanity to install water management systems (rainwater harvesting) within communities in Trinidad and Tobago, building community resilience to water-related challenges and disasters such as flooding, and helping to reduce the risk of exposure to water-borne diseases. In addition, a Construction Technology Training program was developed to reschool contractors using inadequate building practices. In 2022/2023, the SENSE Foundation Brussels renewed its support of Habitat for Humanity, helping to build water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions in Bolivia. Specifically, 180 technical solutions were implemented at a housing level, including improvements to rainwater collection systems, bathrooms, and handwash stations. In addition, the municipal water supply was augmented for 10.968 residents, increasing the availability of clean water for domestic use. In 2023/2024, the SENSE Foundation Brussels supported Habitat for Humanity to continue its work providing water, hygiene, and sanitation solutions for vulnerable communities in Bolivia. This work was conducted at the household level, through community infrastructure projects, and via education and training. More specifically, the project constructed 113 handwashing stations (benefiting 364 people) and a drinking water system (benefiting 544 people). In addition, several awareness campaigns (printed materials and workshops) on sanitation and hygiene reached 360 people. Overall, the project helped to improve the health issues of the beneficiaries caused by gastrointestinal infections and water-borne diseases. https://www.habitat.org/emea

Project country: Lebanon
Grant period: 2020 - 2021
Hopital Libanais Geitaoui - University Medical Centre, one of the first hospitals in Lebanon, is a multidisciplinary care hospital, with a mission to treat all patients regardless of race, class or creed. The SENSE Foundation Brussels supported the Hopital Libanais Geitaoui to face difficulties encountered following the explosion of August 4, 2020 at the port of Beirut. Just 1.3 km away from the blast location, this hospital was one of the worst affected by the explosion. SENSE Foundation Brussel’s support helped with the overall operations of taking care of the wounded, cleaning the site and purchasing emergency equipment. https://www.hopital-libanais.com

Project country: Belgium
Grant period: 2020 - 2021
Jeunesses Scientifiques’s objective is to inspire young people with an interest in science and the world around them. The organisation contributes to the training and scientific culture of tomorrow’s adults by giving them the means to be active and informed citizens. The association is open for everyone to participate, regardless of their financial resources or difficulties. The activities are inclusive, from a social and gender perspective, thus participating in the fight against prejudice and social exclusion. In 2020/2021, with the support of SENSE Brussels Foundation, the "Classes de dépaysement" offered schools with limited financial resources the possibility to enrol their pupils in a community-life project including scientific activities, for a maximum duration of 5 days. Fifty children were able to take part in these "change of scenery" classes, suddenly making science fun and hands-on. Activities were organised around the following themes: introduction to programming and Arduino, notions of infinitely large and infinitely small, animal tracks, identification and collection of green materials for plant crafts, what is sound, how do animals see and what do they see, introduction to magnetism and electrical circuits, the impact of humans on their environment, how to make electric batteries with coins, how to use flint. These activities allowed teachers to tackle scientific subjects that they usually think are out of their reach. It was formative for the teachers, who were involved in the project from its inception. https://www.jsb.be

Project country: Uganda
Grant period: 2020 - 2021
Lively Minds is an NGO working towards getting rural pre-schoolers in Ghana and Uganda "school-ready". The first six years of a child’s life are vital in developing the skills needed to succeed in school and in future life. But rural children in Uganda do not get the care and education they need to build those skills, and this adverse start has knock-on effects throughout their lives. During the COVID-19-related school closures, the Lively Minds beneficiaries in rural communities were at risk of becoming ever more isolated, without the support to deliver early childhood care and education for children in their most crucial development years. The organisation created a radio show, Lively Minds Together (LMT), for rural parents across the Busoga region (Uganda), supporting them to deliver effective ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) at home. The parenting episodes teach practical and cost-free ways to provide nurturing care at home. Topics have included handwashing, disability, nutrition, and communication. In the weekly play episodes, parents learn cost-free and straightforward educational games to play with their children at home. In 2020/2021, SENSE Foundation Brussels’s support enabled Lively Minds to develop 32 brand new radio episodes and to broadcast 156 episodes, including 32 live phone-in sessions, reaching a total of 400,000 households in 2021. Here is what some listeners said about the programme: “It’s very good for us to teach our children equal roles, regardless of their gender. This brightens their future”. “I have learned with my children that disability is not inability. We should treat individuals with disabilities as fellow humans without discriminating against them”. https://www.livelyminds.org

Project country: Belgium
Grant period: 2019 - 2020
Since 1919, La Lumière’s mission has been to provide social and medical training to visually impaired or blind people, enable them to find autonomy, social inclusion and active citizenship. The association welcomes, listens to and accompanies its beneficiaries, helping them to fulfil their life goals through both individual and collective solutions. All their actions aim to empower blind and visually impaired people of all ages. La Lumière gathers a whole team of professionals and provides all the technical aids available today, as well as organising cultural activities. For La Lumière, it is crucial that the visually impaired can access ordinary schooling and education, employment and autonomy, ultimately finding inclusion and happiness. In 2019, the SENSE Foundation Brussels supported La Lumière with the digitisation of their library in braille and with audio support, thus promoting a wider access to culture for people who are blind and visually impaired and/or have a disability that hinders their access to reading. https://www.lalumiere.be

Project country: Baltic Sea
Grant period: 2020 - 2021
The MARE Foundation protects marine ecosystems through social and political changes, promotes the sustainable use of the coastal and marine resources and raises public awareness on environmental matters. It carries out projects on sustainable fisheries, shipwreck management, and marine litter as well as other topics related to the marine environment, education and raising society's environmental awareness. In 2020/2021, with SENSE Foundation Brussels’s support, the MARE Foundation worked to reduce the possibility of an ecological disaster in the Gdansk Bay through the preparation of an environmentally safe oil recovery plan for the Franken shipwreck. The Franken, which may still contain up to 1.5 million litres of oil, is considered to pose the biggest ecological threat in the region and was thus chosen as a model case for this pilot project. The support from the SENSE Foundation Brussels was used by the MARE Foundation to: - Publish the general methodology of oil removal operations from shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea, forming the basis of a Wreck Management Programme in Poland; - Organise the project’s closing conference online, during which the methodology was presented to a number of international experts; - Organise advocacy meetings to increase the stakeholders’ knowledge about the issue of potentially dangerous shipwrecks in the Baltic. One of the most important results of the project was the audit carried out by the Supreme Audit Office in Poland. https://fundacjamare.pl

Photo: © Michal Czerminski
Project country: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, DRC
Grant period: 2019 - 2020
For many hospitals in Africa, offering quality healthcare is a major challenge. There are various reasons for this: lack of facilities, limited training opportunities, a restrict supply of medicines, and more. But everyone should have the right to quality healthcare. This is why Medics Without Vacation, a Belgian NGO, is entering into sustainable partnerships with 37 hospitals in five African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Medics Without Vacation assist their partner hospitals in the long term, so that they can offer high-quality healthcare to their patients. The SENSE Foundation Brussels supported the procurement of medical equipment, following an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the region in August 2019. The organisation was able to purchase and use 50 thermometers to quickly detect fever outbreaks, 56 large parasols and tents to shelter infected patients, including at the Kavumu airport and at border checkpoints, as well as 50 handwashing devices. These devices have been set up in public areas like open air markets to encourage hand washing among the local population. This equipment has also proved useful in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak in the region in 2020. https://azv.be

Project country: France
Grant period: 2020 - 2021
The non-profit organisation La Mie de Pain supports the most vulnerable people in Paris and the surrounding area, through a day centre, an accommodation centre for men, two accommodation centres for women, a hostel for youth workers, a boarding house, social housing and work reintegration projects. The support of SENSE Foundation Brussels is directed towards the health centre, ensuring a medical presence within the refuge, and making it possible to refer people in precarious situations to existing official healthcare structures. SENSE Foundation Brussels also supports the project L’Arche d´Avenir, Paris’s largest day centre. L’Arche d’Avenir offers physical activities to homeless and isolated women. Mixed and female-only workshops are offered to promote physical and mental health, through a comprehensive approach. https://www.miedepain.asso.fr

Project country: DRC
Grant period: 2020 - 2021
Oeuvre de Suivi, Education et Protection des Enfants de Rue (OSEPER) assists more than 2,660 children and young people in the streets of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, with its ambulances, and welcomes more than 300 of them in day centres and temporary accommodation centres. Its main objective is the familial and social reintegration of these street children and young people. In 2020/2021, with SENSE Foundation Brussels’s support, OSEPER awakened the artistic and sporting talents of homeless children and young people. They introduced 170 young people to sociocultural and artistic activities, as well as to computer skills. Through the discovery of three cultural traditions, 57 young people were trained in dancing and singing, 33 in percussions and other traditional local musical instruments, 44 in theatre, 36 in drawing and painting. Two shows allowed the children to present their skills in traditional dance, percussion, and theatre. The children's drawings were also on display. In each activity, some children were singled out and joined training courses or semi-professional troupes thanks to their trainers. Ninety-four children and young people were introduced to computers. Materials were purchased: different outfits representing the tribes the participants discovered, corresponding musical instruments, scenery and props for the theatre, as well as supplies for the drawing activities and sports equipment. A swing was also recently added to the playground. https://oseper.org















