The Gabriella Moortgat Foundation, established and named by the granddaughter of the founder of our brewery, aims to celebrate outstanding achievements of women who have made significant contributions to society. After Gabriella’s passing in 2012, the Foundation continued its mission. This year, the awards will honor Dr. Katleen Ballon, pediatrician and co-founder of Villa Clementina, and Benedicte Simonart, co-founder of BEforUkraine. We asked them both 5 questions about their fantastic work.
Gabriëlla Moortgat Award 2023
Benedicte Simonart
Can you tell us more about your organisation, the non-profit organisation BEforUkraine, and how it is making a difference in the lives of Ukrainian refugees in Belgium, with a special focus on women and children?
BEForUkraine is a non-profit organisation dedicated to help Ukrainian people, both in Belgium and in Ukraine. Right at the start of the war we organised convoys to help refugees, mainly women and children, escape the country and relocate in Belgium. We found for the refugees Belgian host families and helped them settle down. The other way around we brought ambulances to the war-torn country as well as school buses. Bringing back children to school allows mothers to go back to work.
What inspires and motivates you to get involved in this charity?
Throughout my life, private and professional, as a mother or a lawyer, I have dedicated myself to human rights, especially women's. A few days after the start of the war, the need to help manage the refugee crisis was obvious to me. Knowing that most of them were women and children, I felt I had to step in. That’s what I had done in the past, assisting women through difficult times.
What was your reaction when you heard you were nominated for the Gabriella Moortgat Award?
I felt very honoured. For myself and for all the volunteers and donors who have been involved in BEForUkraine. I thank my family for their support.
How do you see the role of women in achieving positive impact socially, artistically, socially and scientifically?
Women have a different perception of things, be it politics, science, family, or day-to-day things. Our role in society has forced us to be multi-skilled and to be resilient. These strengths have given us a different perspective and, thus, unique added value.
Could you give us an example of a specific moment or a special story you experienced during your work that will stay with you forever?
My stay in Kyiv last month. I went to Kyiv to visit schools and see their needs. I saw so much destruction and deaths. There are pictures and flags of dead people everywhere including young girls. I was so moved, and impressed by the strength and resilience of the people. I will never forget them.
What message would you like to share with others who are also committed to social achievement and making a difference in their communities?
Do something. I think we must act. Do something simple with purpose. Simple things can have a big impact. I believe in anonymous heroes.
Katleen Ballon
Can you tell us more about Villa Clementina, and how it makes a difference in the lives of young children with and without disabilities?
Villa Clementina is an integrated and inclusive nursery for young children with and without disabilities. At Villa Clementina, we want to offer children a rich, safe and loving play environment. This is a win-win for children with typical development and for children with extra care needs. Also for children with extra care needs, playing and discovering come first, but they also receive therapy at their own pace if they need it. Children with typical development additionally grow up in inclusion and diversity. We are three female founders, Mieke De Strooper, Katia Verhaeren and myself, but are above all best friends with different backgrounds and therefore very complementary.
What inspires and motivates you to get involved in this charity?
The personal stories we face and are touched by every day. Mieke I carpooled to the centre for developmental disorders in Leuven, where we worked together. Every day we were confronted with stories of children who could not get into regular childcare and their parents who were faced with drastic decisions very early on. For example, did they want to opt for a specialised day care or would they rather give up their job to take care of their child? During those carpool sessions, the idea of Villa Clementina was born. Our third founder Katia, who was previously a property developer, provided Villa Clementina's current location.
What was your reaction when you heard you were nominated for the Gabriella Moortgat Award?
I was very honoured when Guy De Roover, one of the board members of the Gabriëlla Moortgat Foundation, contacted me. The cash prize means a lot to non-profit organisations, a lot of extra things can be done with it. At Villa Clementina, we will use the cash prize to carry out further scientific research and expand our operations.
How do you see the role of women in achieving positive impact socially, artistically, socially and scientifically?
I believe women can achieve their ambitious goals in a very empathetic way. Major scientific studies show that, on average, women score better than men on tests of cognitive empathy, the so-called theory of mind. We see other opportunities, other ways to get to the same goal.
Could you give us an example of a specific moment or a special story you experienced during your work that will stay with you forever?
This is difficult because we have a lot of touching moments and small miracles. We are 10 years old this year and Silke, for example, is someone who has been there from the beginning. Silke has a terrible metabolic disease. Her twin brother did have the opportunity to go to mainstream care, but Silke did not have that opportunity at the time. We gained the trust of Silke her mum and in the meantime Silke entered an education project that allowed her to attend a local primary school and has now also started in mainstream secondary education. Without Villa Clementina, we don't know if that would have been possible.
What message would you like to share with others who are also committed to social achievement and making a difference in their communities?
I am sure there are many more opportunities for inclusion in our society. Not only in schools, but also youth movements or companies. If you have an idea or a dream, you should just jump, you should just try to go for it. Failure is not a bad thing, it is worse to say you never tried. Dare as well as dream.