Let's tackle global challenges together

Working together with impact

Strong international collaborations require equal partners. That is why we prioritize support to initiatives led by local actors. Belgium joins them in their efforts to promote ecologically and socially sustainable development in partner countries. 

Take the example of Kathia Iradukunda of Hyacinth Art House. This Burundian entrepreneur founded a company that harvests an invasive plant, water hyacinth, and transforms it into sustainable art and textile products. In doing so, Hyacinth Art House creates employment opportunities for over 150 local women.  

Watch the campaign video here and read her inspiring story. 

You can also learn about Professor Dissou Affolabi’s vital role in the global fight against antibiotic resistance. His team, in collaboration with the Belgian Institute for Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, researches bacterial infections and recently developed an innovative antimicrobial susceptibility test. These tests allow infections and resistance to be identified and tackled on a much larger scale. Thus, Professor Affolabi’s work not only saves lives in Benin, but also contributes to combating this urgent risk to public health worldwide. 

Watch the campaign video here and read his story. 

Local investments in global solutions 

Belgium strives for a world where everyone has equal opportunities. The projects we contribute to not only benefit the country where they are implemented, but also the rest of the world, and therefore ourselves. The climate, for instance, is an ongoing concern throughout all our initiatives. 

However, any investment that benefits the climate must also be socially sustainable. International cooperation can, for example, simultaneously foster local entrepreneurship. Moreover, investments in education and health care for women are prioritized.