The role of solidarity project managers for the AEG on the Lille campus: Meeting with Lina Belaïd and Martin Prévoteau.

The role of solidarity project managers for the AEG on the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille

"Solidarity" and "fraternity": two key words shared by theArts et Métiers student and alumni communityArts et Métiers embodied by solidarity initiatives led by the Gadz'Arts Student Association (AEG).

Among the key players in these initiatives are the "VP Solidarity" officers, who are responsible for proposing and implementing various solidarity projects throughout the academic year. For the 2024-2025 academic year, Lina Belaïd and Martin Prévoteau, students in the Grande École Program on the Lille campus, have agreed to take up the challenge.

Their mission: to organize charity events to raise awareness among the student community and offer practical support to those in need.

A central role in organizing solidarity events

Lina and Martin, as the people responsible for organizing community outreach activities on the Lille campus, are in charge of coordinating events throughout the year, starting with the orientation of new students.

"Each event is an opportunity to engage students in solidarity actions while offering them a space to exchange ideas and forge bonds, whether through informal meetings between students from different classes or through raising awareness of social and humanitarian issues," explains Martin.

Three examples of events organized by solidarity project managers

The People's Aid 

A flagship event of the year organized in the first few weeks after the start of the academic year in September, during which first- and second-year students are actively involved in food drives. In collaboration with the local branch of Secours Populaire, the VP Solidarity coordinates teams of students who collect food items from partner stores. 

The event, which allows participants to collect provisions for several weeks, is also an opportunity for inter-promotional sharing, with groups formed at random to encourage exchanges between students.

Blood donation campaigns

In partnership with the French Blood Establishment (EFS) in Lille, students and staff on campus are invited to donate blood at the Maison du Don, located just a few minutes from campus. This event is both charitable and practical, raising awareness among students about the importance of donating blood while making it easier for them to do so.

The patrols 

These solidarity initiatives aim to distribute kits to homeless people, containing essential items such as hats, coffee, and soup. The goal is also to establish human contact with these individuals, who are often ignored by society. Lina and Martin see these moments of conviviality as a way to break the isolation of people in precarious situations while raising awareness among students about the reality of these often invisible lives. The last outreach took place on Thursday, January 9, when several inches of snow had fallen in Lille.

The benefits of solidarity engagement

Solidarity missions have a profound impact on students, both personally and collectively. On the one hand, they offer powerful human experiences. As Lina explains, "sharing these moments of contact is as rewarding for us as it is for them. These commitments strengthen interpersonal skills and empathy, essential qualities in the training of an engineer who is capable of taking human dimensions into account in their actions."
On the other hand, solidarity events help to strengthen ties within the student community . Activities such as food drives and outreach programs encourage informal encounters between students from different classes, contributing to better integration and a stronger spirit of camaraderie. For Lina and Martin, these moments of exchange are precious: "Secours Populaire even wrote an article to pay tribute to the initiative. It's very rewarding and shows that these initiatives are a win-win situation."

Finally, these initiatives raise students' awareness of important causes and offer them the opportunity to get involved in society in a practical way, beyond their academic studies. By participating in events such as outreach programs, students become aware of social issues and can consider future commitments, whether voluntary or professional.

Educating responsible citizens

"The role of VP Solidarity is much more than simply organizing mutual aid events. It is a vehicle for humanitarian values and a lever for creating lasting bonds between students while raising their awareness of social realities. Through concrete and accessible actions, these students do more than just raise funds or distribute material goods: they actively participate in building a more supportive and humane society ," conclude Lina and Martin.