Hasselt (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Ukrainian refugee Anna and her kids are safe in Belgium. Inspired by local projects, she hopes to use these ideas to help rebuild her home in Luhansk, where her husband stays.
Laurence Libert helped set up a visit for Ukrainian refugees in Hasselt, including Anna, who came with her two small kids when the war started. This visit is part of a bigger plan to help people affected by the conflict. It has been said that Anna’s story shows the real side of being a refugee, as she looks for safety and a stable life for her family in a new place. At the same time, her husband is still in Luhansk, Ukraine, working to fix the damage from the war. His hard work is important for bringing back normal life and helping the community recover.
What successful projects can serve as models for rebuilding mining sites in Hasselt?
Anna recently visited some projects that changed old factories into lively places. C-mine in Genk is now a cultural center with art shows, a cinema, and a restaurant, keeping its history while adding new activities. Be-Mine in Beringen mixes its coal mining past with modern things like a leisure park and offices. Terhills in Maasmechelen combines homes, parks, and shops, focusing on being eco-friendly and building a community. Anna wants to show these successful projects to her husband and others who are rebuilding in Luhansk. She hopes these examples will inspire them and give them good ideas for improving the mining sites in their area. She is committed to using successful ideas from other places to help with local rebuilding.
It has been said that in many Ukrainian cities, a lot of buildings and roads have been destroyed, which gives them a chance to rethink how things work. They are now looking at waste management, which wasn’t a big issue before the war. They were impressed by the Optimo installation they saw. They also checked out factories to see how quickly houses can be built and visited Terhills to learn about using old coal mines. Today, they went to PXL University College, hoping to find partners to help rebuild Ukraine. They know it will take time and resources, but they want to be creative in their rebuilding efforts.
Ben Lambrechts, the director of PXL University College, mentioned that “These people are here to talk about rebuilding Ukraine, but they’ve also heard some bad news about the bombings, which makes them upset. They are happy to welcome this group. Ukraine wants to join the European Union, which allows its students to study here through Erasmus projects. They already have some Ukrainian students and want to show that they’re friendly and ready to help. Lambrechts said it’s important to support the people of Ukraine with both resources and moral support, including partnerships for rebuilding their homes and communities.”
