On 23 January 2026, the NEF – Digital and Empowerment in Social Work Training project held its first Steering Committee meeting online, gathering the presidents and directors of six dedicated organisations from France, Belgium, Romania and Portugal: IRTS Hauts-de-France, Habble, Logopsycom, Aproximar, ASSOC and CNASR.
This Erasmus+ initiative is building something truly meaningful: empowering vulnerable people, those facing precarity, digital exclusion, ageing or other barriers by giving them more control over their lives through innovative digital tools and practices. At the same time, it equips social workers and future professionals with the skills and confidence to support that change.
What makes NEF special is the strength of its partnership. Six organisations with complementary expertise, local roots and European reach have come together at the highest level. This diversity is not just symbolic, it guarantees that the solutions developed will be practical, culturally relevant and able to reach far beyond the project itself.
Ana Melo beautifully summed up the spirit:
“Beyond the quality of the results, the greatest joy comes from working with such engaged, friendly, and motivated teams.”
Ana also highlighted why the Steering Committee itself is so valuable: it brings the highest institutional commitment, gives legitimacy and visibility to the project, acts as a guarantee for real dissemination and impact, and provides stability if challenges arise. The French National Agency praised this structure during their monitoring visit, even suggesting it could inspire other projects.
The sincere compliments of the team created a memorable moment, a beautiful reminder that NEF is much more than a set of activities. It is a genuine European collaboration built on mutual respect, pleasure in working together and a common passion to make a real difference in people’s lives.
When leaders from four countries take time to celebrate each other’s efforts like this, it shows that the human connection at the heart of the project is already producing something powerful and lasting.
