Tomorrow’s Voices 2023: Collibri’s Got Talent
An event about mutual inspiration and exchange between young people at home and abroad and between our partner organisations.
Inspiration and exchange
Tomorrow’s Voices is Collibri Foundation’s main event of the year. The seventh edition took place on 21 October 2023 at the Colruyt Group’s headquarters in Halle. On the agenda: mutual inspiration and exchange, mainly between about 40 young people who are participating in Collibri projects at home and abroad. This also included four Indonesian students who were doing their internships at Colruyt Group via partner organisation YKAI at the time. In addition, there were 15 representatives from nine Belgian partner organisations of Collibri Foundation.
Workshop on intercultural coexistence
Divided into smaller, mixed groups, the youngsters participated in a workshop on interculturalism, a subject which Colruyt Group is also strongly committed to. “The focus was on bread and chocolate spread”, says Neil Escalante, a young Bolivian who started working in logistics partly thanks to guidance from our partner Rising You. “It was interesting to see how the various young people in our group deal with food. It shows you how people from different cultures also think differently about other things in life. And that all these opinions are valuable.”
Partners dive into strategy discussions
It was also a constructive afternoon for a number of partners of Collibri Foundation. About 15 representatives from nine organisations were given the lowdown on our Foundation’s new strategy. “Very interesting, and it was also great that we could give feedback on strengths or weaknesses, opportunities and so on”, Nikita Meer from our partner organisation Sport2Be comments. “It was also nice to meet people from other organisations during a speed date. After all, there’s a lot that we can learn from each other.”
“The cooperation and rapport among the youngsters exemplify what the world needs today.”
- Stefan Goethaert, CEO Colruyt Group
Collibri’s got talent!
The day ended with Colruyt Group co-workers as well as the host families of the Indonesian students joining the group. During a festive closing activity, the youngsters presented 15 cracking stage performances ranging from recitals to songs and dances. This was followed by a delicious buffet and lots of dancing.
A recap
Stefan Goethaert, CEO Colruyt Group
“I felt it was a privilege to be able to attend an event that brings together young people from so many varied backgrounds. The cooperation and rapport established here truly exemplify what the world needs today. It was also nice to see the dynamics and interaction between the various partner organisations. Such an event makes you more aware of the actual impact of our Collibri projects. Each in their own way, these projects make a substantial difference to young people and their communities.”
Lauriane Boes, Collibri Foundation co-worker
“It was so wonderful to see young people from different backgrounds and cultures, who didn't know each other before this event, singing and dancing together at the end of the day. Such moments perfectly capture the essence of our mission. And in light of current events on the world stage, I’m convinced that such moments warm the hearts of all participants.”
Delphine Guiot of Rising You, one of the partner organisations selected during the 2023 Call for Projects that will enjoy Collibri Foundation’s support for the next five years. “On such a day, you realise that our relationship with the Foundation goes far beyond mere financial support and that this partnership can also be deeply enriching in terms of our core activities. We really appreciated the fact that we were able to give feedback on Collibri Foundation’s plans. The interaction with the Collibri team and exchanges with other organisations will definitely help us improve our operations.”
