Joëlle and Guy François, founding parents of the association :

"As a young couple, we gave birth to three boys. The third, Kevin, was born with a congenital malformation of the spine called spina bifida leading to paralysis of the legs. Faced with this ordeal, our hearts opened and grew with Kevin who, little by little, transformed our family. It was expanded by three adopted sisters, also suffering from a disability. They are our rays of sunshine!

In contact with the world of disabled children, we felt called to open ourselves to welcoming disabled children to help out or relieve families in difficulty or suffering, to also allow certain parents to breathe, while 'a weekend, vacation, rest...

In 1995, we created the non-profit organization “Children of the same Father”. For us it is the work of the Father, overflowing with Love for his privileged children and we have entrusted ourselves entirely to his Providence. With everyone's help, we are happy to see that "it works"!

 

is run by the founding couple and nine full-time educators. Every morning and evening, a nurse helps with the care and washing of the children. Two physiotherapists come five times a week. Two geographically close doctors can be reached if necessary.

Several volunteers help with the kitchen, garden and office. Other volunteers come to lead DIY and pottery workshops or simply come to spend time with the children, which allows us to offer each child the personalized attention they need.

The garden with its sunny and shaded areas, with its games and its circuit of tricycles, go-karts and wheelchairs, offers children a wonderful space of well-being and joy of living together.

More than 600 different children have already been welcomed. Many return regularly, which facilitates the child's adaptation and contact with parents. We also have some extended receptions for children who stay a year or more.

We have more than 2,700 overnight stays each year. Our capacity is 12 children aged 2 to 18 and the house is open every day of the year (except for a break in September).

We always call on volunteers. Thanks in advance !

Initially, Joëlle and Guy welcomed disabled children into their family home in Plainevaux. But soon it became too small.

They found a big house in Petit-Seny. (on the right, in the photo below). Friends came together to help them acquire this house, and bring to life this magnificent project that was close to their hearts. This is how the A.S.B.L. was born. “Children of the same Father”.

But soon, faced with ever-increasing demand, this house became too small, and no longer met the increasingly demanding reception standards.

Thanks to the actions undertaken by EMP, including the “Jardins en Pays de Liège” operation, an annex was built and was inaugurated in 2004.

In 2011, the family home underwent a refurbishment which allowed the development of 5 new personalized rooms.

This year, we had the pleasure, thanks to partial help from CAP48, United for Belgium and our sister non-profit organization Enfants d'un même Père, to create a new play area in our large garden adapted to different disabilities.
 
Everything is wheelchair accessible. We also thought about children who needed to break away from the group at times by providing cabins.
More active children can also let off steam via swings, climbing ropes, bridges... We notice that this space is very beneficial for children.
   

Jardins en Pays de Liège

Since 2002, under the aegis of the non-profit organization “Children of the same Father”, members of “Jardins en Pays de Liège” have organized visits to private gardens in the province of Liège. Every year, around twenty gardens open their doors and welcome more than 10,000 visitors. The entire entry fee is paid to an association that welcomes disabled children.

The results: more than 100 different gardens open throughout the province, 100,000 entries. And also the books “Jardins en Pays de Liège”, and “Jardins en Pays de Liège, 15 years of shared passion”: photographs by Vincent Botta and prefaced by Luc Noël who wrote: “…the “Jardins en Pays de Liège” has a bright future. First of all because it is driven by a contagious volunteer spirit...” (***)

Jardins en Pays de Liège is also an annual Plant Festival, which is traditionally held on the first Sunday in June, at the Englebermont castle farm.

And it's true, "Jardins en Pays de Liège" is, in addition to the gardeners who open their gardens, dozens of volunteers who set up arbors, welcome visitors, make garden accessories, make pies and cakes to make of each opening weekend a real celebration.

Basically, they were right, the 10 amateur gardeners from Condroz Liège who in 2002 took up Laurent Voulzy's challenge: “Change hearts with bouquets of flowers, change men with geraniums”. Change people, perhaps not, but help them, why not?

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