Mouna on financial worries: 'Sometimes one conversation can make all the difference'
Financial worries are not always visible, yet their impact is profound - both at home and at work. According to Mouna Sarragi, Coordinator Strategic Partners & Projects Belgium, it is essential that we continue to raise awareness of this issue within Vebego. ‘By making financial worries a topic of conversation, we show that we truly care about our people’, she says.
Shame and delay
In her work, Mouna sees that people often wait too long before asking for help. ‘There is a lot of shame involved. People try to solve it on their own, but in the meantime the problems keep piling up. The longer it takes, the higher the barrier becomes to talk about it.’
Through Vebego Foundation, she works to lower that barrier. ‘We offer accessible, confidential support. Asking for help must feel safe, without judgement.’
'By making financial worries a topic of conversation, we show that we truly care about our people.'
Recognizing the signs
Colleagues and managers can also play an important role, Mouna stresses. ‘Look out for changes in behavior: calling in sick more often, becoming quieter, or reacting more irritably. Sometimes you hear small hints in conversation. Recognizing those signs means you can help someone take the first step.’
Stronger together with the Pelicano Foundation
In Belgium, Vebego Foundation works closely with the Pelicano Foundation for Child Poverty. ‘Pelicano gives us extra strength’, Mouna explains. ‘They have the expertise and networks to provide long-term support to colleagues and their families. Their approach looks at the whole family, not just the financial situation.’
'Don't look away. Sometimes one conversation can make all the difference.'
A call to colleagues
For Mouna, one thing is clear: tackling poverty requires attention from everyone at Vebego. ‘Don’t look away, stay alert, and make the subject discussable. Sometimes one conversation can make all the difference.'
