Credit: Jazmin Campbell / Chronicle.lu

Nearly 50 people attended a festive Christmas Dinner organised by The NETWORK at the Novotel Kirchberg hotel on the evening of Wednesday 13 December 2023.

A lot of the guests (mostly women but also a few men; members and newcomers alike) dressed up in festive colours and sparkles, and there were Christmas-themed props available for fun photographs throughout the evening.

Following a "job matching" session (identifying those in the room who are hiring/whose companies are hiring with those looking for a job) and a couple of short project/business pitches, The NETWORK President Mariana Florea invited representatives of three other local associations who support (mainly) women to introduce themselves. The selected charities each received a cheque for €1,000, as raised by The NETWORK at its events (notably the wine tasting in September) throughout the year. In addition to the three charities listed below, Femmes en Détresse (who were unable to attend the Christmas Dinner) will receive a donation of €1,000.

Representatives of the following charities were present at the Christmas Dinner:

  • La Voix des Survivant(e)s, an association created last year by survivors of violence (domestic violence, rape, etc.) for victims of violence. The association aims to give a voice to victims (women, children and men), speak out about abuse and make a change (e.g. to laws) in Luxembourg;
  • Dress for Success Luxembourg, an association that empowers women, including refugee and migrant women, to achieve economic independence by helping them get a job (e.g. by dressing professionally and making a good first impression in interviews);
  • Think Pink Luxembourg, an association supporting women and their families living with breast cancer or other cancers. Its activities support research and team members give informative talks about prevention (e.g. reducing one's risk of cancer) in schools and other organisations. Think Pink Lux recently also set up a support group for men with cancer or whose female partners have cancer.

Following the cheque presentations, the guests were invited to network by picking a card and finding their "match", to get to know each other.

On the menu was a festive buffet dinner, which featured a salad bar and cold cuts for starters, a choice of pike-perch fillet, rack of veal, vegan risotto, seasonal vegetables and roasted potatoes for the main course, and assorted cheeses, seasonal fruit, apple tarte tatin and a variety of creamy mousses, among other treats, for dessert.