I am a student at the Université Catholique de Louvain, studying International Relations and my goal is to become a humanitarian aid worker. On September 1st, 2015, I began my internship at the Josefa Foundation.
Inspired by the desire to "help others", in this particular case the person made vulnerable by his or her forced migration, I was far from imagining the change, and would even dare to say the "migration", in thought that the Josefa Foundation would lead me into…
Rather than working to help the refugee integrate into our society, Josefa suggested that I allow the refugee to join me, so as to choose an approach based on "hospitality in reciprocity" rather than one based on "unilateral help" (certainly also necessary in the emergency situations we are experiencing).
This innovative approach which was proposed to me was something I had to confront, to own. In view of my studies, it was not easy for me. Today, I am convinced that an ethical integration of the refugee will take place if our exchange with this person is on equal terms, and we allow for mutual enrichment.
Thank you Josefa, for opening this change in the way we regard migration and thank you for this collaboration with a joyful, human, professional and motivated team!
Laetitia
