3.2 Solidarity Grocery Shop: Le Kotidien On 7th February 2022, the first solidarity grocery shop for students in French-speaking Belgium opened on the Rue des Clarisses in the centre of Liège. There are two conditions for using this shop. Firstly, users must be students in a higher education institution in the province of Liège or Luxembourg, and secondly, they must have a difficult financial situation. Compliance with this second criterion is based on trust. Students are asked to sign a declaration on their honour, without their finances being checked. They can find everyday products free of charge or at a quarter of the market price. A BEAUTIFUL INTER-INSTITUTIONAL ALLIANCE In April 2019, a study on the living conditions of students in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, commissioned by the Ministry of Higher Education, revealed two new areas of concern: mental health and food, which were added to other issues, such as housing and mobility. “When we read the study,” says Aurélie Proietti, from the Pôle Académique Liège-Luxembourg, “we asked ourselves how we could respond to these social phenomena, even though we knew we could not solve them all. We focused on food and began our reflections, influenced by a good practice referenced in Brussels, and decided to distribute solidarity baskets.” To anchor this initiative in the long term, the baskets gave way to the establishment of a solidarity grocery shop. To make this project happen, Aurélie Proietti toured the world of social grocery shops and food aid. Although there were already many initiatives, this was still an undeveloped area as it did not adequately meet the needs of many young people. “Those who are registered with the CPAS have access to these solidarity grocery shops,” explains Magali Thonon, a psychologist at the ULiège Student Affairs Department. “But many students do not meet the selection criteria despite having major financial problems. For example, students are excluded if both of their parents work, even if they get no help from them. So, the solidarity grocery shops helped these students in a less formal way, but the situation was not comfortable for anyone. It’s hard enough to ask for help, it’s even harder when the service isn’t meant for you.” The student grocery shop had to take this reality into account. It also had to be accessible to all higher education students, regardless of their institution, without discrimination. The project is headed and financed, in part, by the Pôle Académique LiègeLuxembourg, but all the universities and Hautes Écoles in the two provinces are involved in the discussions and financing of the project. Each structure allocates a percentage according to the number of registered students. This equitable distribution is a sign of wonderful inter-institutional solidarity around a unifying project. The initiative is also supported by the Poverty Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, as well as by donations and solidarity partnerships. “We also involved the student community from the outset,” says Aurélie Proietti. “A group of students drew up a questionnaire that was distributed to the various institutions. Which geographical location should be favoured? What opening hours, what products to choose... We used the results of this survey throughout the implementation of the project.” STRIVING TO BRING PLEASURE AND DIGNITY “The main advantage of the grocery shop compared to the baskets,” says Aurélie Proietti, “is that the beneficiaries can choose the products they are going to eat, and with greater discretion. Logistically, it is a bit more complicated, but there is a respect for human dignity and the notion of pleasure linked to food. We are moving away from the idea that a person in a precarious situation has to make do with what they are given.” We are also attentive to the environmental issue. Some products are offered in bulk, while others are chosen from local producers. In addition, sanitary towels and moon cups have been offered to students, etc. Currently, Le Kotidien is open 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) from 5pm to 7pm. It is run by 5 students who are paid under a ‘voluntary’ contract. “We offer a wide range of particularly popular fruit and vegetables, milk, flour, eggs, meat, etc.» explains Isabelle Jardon, coordinator of the solidarity grocery shop. These products come from local partner grocery shops, the Jardin d’Antan and the Terre d’Herbage network of producers, from the Boulangerie sans Patron, which gives us unsold goods at the end of the day, and from the food bank. “We were also able to acquire a cold room thanks to a donation from the King Baudouin Foundation. Bulk items and the sale of certain organic products are made possible thanks to Al’Binette, which allows us to benefit from wholesale prices. The Carrefour de Ans regularly supplies us with unsold goods, and other more occasional donations complete the offer. But we are always looking for volunteers and partnerships to increase the stock.” Recently, the initiative won the Solidaris prize, which enabled it to buy a cargo bike to collect unsold goods from small retailers in the region. In November 2022, some 920 students were registered (from a pool of 50,000 students). This figure is not representative of a reality that is currently difficult to estimate. On the one hand, the grocery shop needs to make itself known, and on the other hand, many young people do not feel that they deserve to benefit from this type of aid, even though they are experiencing an objective situation of food insecurity. Nevertheless, around 180 young people come each week. “The current limit is a basket of 10 products maximum per week. This basket costs about 4.50€. And the students are particularly respectful. They are keen not to take too much food so that others can benefit from it.” A place of solidarity that is as much a priority as it is central to the fight against poverty and for dignified access to quality food for all. Although there may be many reasons for students’ financial difficulties, there are currently too few structures to help them. FIND OUT MORE Isabelle Jardon Coordinator of the solidarity grocery store Le Kotidien 12 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022 13 | ANNUAL REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2021 – 2022
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk1ODY=