AFRICAN YOUTH ORGANISATION

Chances are, you would soon have heard from AYO without this article anyway. Five years ago, AYO’s members decided to partake in the Black Lives Matter protests and started organising formal and informal events in and around the university. “For some events, like panel talks on colonialism or film screenings, we invite a big audience, because we want to inform as many people as possible,” Eseosa explains. “We also made a conscious decision not to participate in hazing or any initiation rituals that scare off many students.”

Besides these more serious events, AYO hosts a wide range of cosy get-togethers and fun, original activities. Eseosa elaborates: “It doesn’t have to be serious all the time, of course. Most of our events are much more informal. My own absolute favourites are the potlucks we host multiple times per year. Good food brings everyone together and we learn so much from each other’s cultures this way. It’s also a great way to see the intersectionality at AYO: we have both Christians and Muslims, members born in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and South America, but we share a table and love getting to know more about each other and ourselves.” AYO knows that not only food, but also sports, culture and music connect. They have their famous Sip & Paint evenings, organise a variety of sports events and last year they had a successful Open Mic night. “Seeing how great the Open Mic night was, we’re already planning to bring it back this year,” Elisabeth promises. “We always have a big crowd turning up for our football matches and this year, we’ll be introducing even more sport activities. Some members want to try padel, so we’ve added that to the list already!”

“We know that it can be very intimidating for an international student to try and socialise or go to events organised by student clubs,” Eseosa acknowledges. “You may feel like an outsider if you don’t speak Dutch and going out can be expensive. At AYO, we want to make you feel welcome instantly and we do our best to keep entry fees low. And even though many events are theoretically in Dutch, our members come from so many backgrounds that you’ll likely feel an instant connection with many of them.” Elisabeth adds: “Above all, AYO wants to be a safe space for black and African students. We organise events like a Ladies-Only Night or a Hair Day at a black-owned hairdressing salon here in Antwerp.”

Interested in coming to one of AYO’s events? “You can always reach out to us via our Instagram page or via our new website,” Elisabeth and Eseosa explain. They conclude: “Whether it’s via food, panel talks, sports events, quiz nights or parties, at AYO you get to know lots of cultures and people from all over the world, right here in Antwerp!”