News

Hello from the Josefa Foundation and thank you for giving us such a warm welcome at the launch of our website on December 18, 2012.

Based on the feedback from those of you who have discovered the Josefa Foundation, it seems that some of you are still wondering about the people who started the Josefa dynamics or who have been keeping it alive since September, 2011.

That information is of course available on the web site under the "Foundation" heading. However, you will find below some further information, bearing in mind that at the source of it all, there is first and foremost an inspiration that enriches the Josefa team’s expertise and skills.

So, at the origin of the Josefa proposal, Annabelle and Gilbert Granjon decided to use their experience for the benefit of a large-scale project aimed at refugees and resettled people, who are eager for social integration but deprived of housing.

Annabelle Granjon, jurist, has a long experience with the UN (19 years with the UNHCR) in the field of refugees. Her involvement with the Josefa Foundation is however limited to her participation in the Board of Directors, where we also find Annick Goeminne, associate of the CGRA, Pascal Reyntjens, Chief of Mission of the IOM Country Office for Belgium and Luxembourg, Eric Van Hoof, registered auditor Ernst & Young Partners, and François de Borchgrave, investor-philanthropist in the social real estate sector.

As for Gilbert Granjon, after participating in the management of several companies, he worked in the financial sector before getting involved in the management of development projects in Africa as an employee of French (Secours Catholique, CCFD) and Belgian (JRS) associations. Gilbert Granjon is the coordinator of the project.

By his side, Patricia Cahn (jurist, then nurse) has been the assistant coordinator of the project since October 2012.

Finally, a team of about twenty volunteers supports the Josefa Foundation. Today, the team gathers professionals with various profiles (experts in then right of asylum or social integration, project administrators, leaders of humanitarian organisations, jurists, financiers, IT specialists, architects, artists, academics, social entrepreneurs, etc.).

As you can see, the Josefa Foundation and its team are at your disposal to answer your questions. But we will also be happy to welcome you if by any chance you would like to help or contribute. After all, isn’t hospitality the golden rule of the Josefa Foundation?