Kazakh citizens in Belgium held a charity fair to raise funds for flood victims
Brussels, April 25, 2024 - The student community “Qazaq Society” and Kazakhstani citizens living in Belgium, with support of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Belgium, organized a charity event at the KU Leuven Brussels campus to raise funds for citizens affected by large-scale flooding in the regions of Kazakhstan.
Guests and visitors of the fair that took place in the historic center of the Belgian capital were able to observe informative photos from the sites of natural disaster, and learn from volunteers about the consequences of floods and ongoing evacuation and assistance to victims. Tourists, residents of Brussels, and local students were offered works of Kazakh artists, handicrafts, accessories of national clothes and jewelry from domestic masters, souvenirs, Kazakh literature in French, as well as dishes of national cuisine.
Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in Belgium Olivier Willox considers the charity fair as an opportunity not only to support the affected regions but also to get in touch with Kazakh culture and taste national dishes.
Madina Bazarkhan, a Belgian resident who presented at the fair her original drawings on shoppers, sees her contribution as only a small fraction of the help Kazakhstanis are giving each other during this difficult period. Being abroad, we feel strongly about what is going on in Kazakhstan and we do this fair with all our heart to support our compatriots,” she says.
One of the organizers of the event, Ardak Moldanizova living in Belgium, notes the united work of Kazakhstani citizens in Belgium, who not only personally organized the event, but also brought their original works and handicrafts that received special attention from local buyers.
The founders of “Qazaq Society” are sure that their community will continue growing as every year there are more and more students from Kazakhstan enrolling in Belgian universities. The society has a lot of work to help the students to adapt to a new environment, as well as to stay connected with the homeland.
This is the second charitable event of Kazakhstani youth in Belgium aimed at collecting aid for the affected regions. In early April, students held an event at the university where they spoke about the culture and traditions of Kazakhstan.
As of today, more than 200 Kazakhstanis study in Belgium and about 50 of them go to KU Leuven. The association “Qazaq Society” is aimed at uniting compatriots in Belgium, informing the university community about Kazakhstan, as well as the culture and modern trends in the country.
The oldest university in Belgium, KU Leuven is among top 50 best universities according to the Times Higher Education and has been named, for several years, Europe’s most innovative university according to Thomson Reuters. The university’s research in renewable energy and hydrogen engineering has been recognized as a breakthrough development in the field of green development.