Voices of the Community
asUgoVoicesoftheCommunity:SocialAid
At asUgo, we regularly give the floor to the social profit organisations we collaborate with creating space for their voices, stories, and impact to be heard Today, we had the pleasure of interviewing Silke De Ridder, Stafmedewerker at Nasci, a Brusselsbased non-profit that has become a vital support system for mothers and families facing hardship
Silke, can you tell us a bit about NASCI and what you stand for?
At NASCI, we support disadvantaged pregnant women, single mothers, and families with young children who are going through a tough time. Most of them live in Brussels, and often face temporary but intense difficulties
Our support comes in many formsbasic but essential things like baby supplies, hygiene products, clothing, or school materials But we also go beyond the material Through our Mediconsult, we offer accessible medical and psychological care, especially around pregnancy Thanks to our midwife and nurse, mothers learn what’s important for their baby's health in a very handson, accessible way
We organize regular parenting and selfdevelopment sessions And in programs like Mama’s Power, up to 15 mothers come together for workshops and training that really focus on empowerment It’s all about building confidence and helping them take
charge of their family's future The group dynamic is very important it creates a safe, supportive space where they can grow together
We also help families navigate the system- finding a school for their child, a language course, or training to find a job Every week, we host Mama’s Club, a relaxed afternoon where mothers can step out of their daily worries and connect with others And a few times a year, we organize little trips - maybe to a park, the beach, or even a theater show These moments are small escapes where families, including dads, can enjoy time together in a light-hearted way It’s also a chance to connect more
personally with our team.
Our volunteers are the backbone of everything we do They’re incredibly diverse, committed, and dynamic Whether it’s sorting baby clothes, helping during workshops, or doing small repairs in the building, their presence means the world We also work with interns and welcome people doing community service. It’s truly a collective effort
By empowering a mother, we give her the strength to carry her family’s future.
By empowering a mother, giving her insights and boosting her selfconfidence, she becomes stronger That can only benefit her children's education Creating well-being and social inclusion for disadvantaged families living in poverty is a multifaceted story that requires an approach across multiple domains. Together with mothers, we work to build a better foundation for their children's future
What are some of the biggest challenges these families face, and what has this taught you?
Our families often live in a very uncertain reality Many are in the middle of asylum procedures and get moved from one place to another This instability makes it almost impossible to build any kind of future And the impact on children - it’s just heartbreaking
But what I’ve really learned over the years is that even small things can make a big difference A birthday gift for a child A day trip to the seaside A place in daycare that allows the mother to go back to school or work These may seem like tiny gestures, but they are stepping stones - towards dignity, independence, and a better future "
Were there key turning points in NASCI’s story that shaped where you are today?
Yes, a few important milestones come to mind About six years ago, we opened a second location in central Brussels That was a big shift Before that, many families from neighborhoods like Molenbeek or Anderlecht had to travel for over an hour to reach us in Schaerbeek Having a second space closer to them really changed our accessibility
Then came the pandemic We usually operate with open doors - families can walk in without an appointment That’s very important for us But suddenly, everything had to stop We had to move to appointment-only, and families had less access to information It made everything more difficult Still, we found our way back - we were able to resume our workshops, our gatherings, and of
course, the material support.
Last year, in 2023, we rebranded NASCI and launched a new website It was a long process with ups and downs, but we’re proud of the result. It’s helped improve our visibility and hopefully our fundraising too
Looking at the present, is there something you’re especially proud of?
Yes, I’m really proud of how much we’ve grown From one location to two From a team of social workers to a broader team that includes a nurse and midwife We’ve gained so much knowledge and capacity over the years. Of course, we’re not done - we still need to improve in digital tools and fundraising But seeing how far we’ve come is encouraging
Where do you and your team draw your motivation from?
What truly motivates us are those moments when you see change Sometimes, a mother comes back to visit years later She tells us she now has a stable job, a home, children who are doing well And she remembers how, when things were really hard, NASCI was there That’s incredibly rewarding
We also support women in very tough
situations - like those facing domestic violence NASCI becomes a safe space
Families trust us with very personal things, and that trust is a huge responsibility. Every day, we hear heavy stories, but we hold onto the lightness too A smile, a joke - those moments matter just as much Humor helps us keep perspective
How
can people support NASCI and the work you do?
There are so many ways to help Material donations are always welcomebaby clothes, school supplies, anything useful for children and families who can’t afford them Sometimes the smallest things - like a birthday gift - have the biggest impact
Sometimes the smallest things - like a birthday gifthave the biggest impact.
Of course, financial support makes a big difference too. With just a few euros, we can provide hygiene products, diapers, birthday presents, milk, birth kits or school bags Every euro counts
And then there’s volunteering If you're reliable, open-minded and care about social justice, we’d love to have you Our volunteers are a really varied groupdifferent ages, origins, backgroundsand each one brings something special Tasks range from sorting clothes to caring for toddlers during workshops or doing small maintenance jobs Even a
few hours a week can make a big impact And if you want to come as a small group - that's possible too!
You can also just spread the word Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn - help us share our mission
What are your hopes or priorities for the coming year?
It’s not an easy time financially. We’re uncertain about future grants and funding Our biggest hope is simply to keep going - to not have to scale back, because each service we lose affects real families.
One exciting step is that, thanks to support from asUgo, we’ve started using Salesforce as our CRM We’re really hopeful that this will help us become more professional and efficient, especially in how we approach fundraising
Stafmedewerker bij
Nasci vzw
For more information on Nasci: https://nascivzw be/en/
Silke De Ridder