Who is behind this solidarity initiative?
Behind the Mum & Dad Foundation stands, above all, a couple deeply united by more than thirty years of common life, shared experiences and transmitted values: Marie-Pierre and Gérald Saint-Remy.
Together, they embody two different but complementary paths of life, united by the same conviction: Education is a powerful tool for individual and social transformation.
Gérald, from a modest background, began the year of his 25th anniversary of law studies thanks to the support of CPAS and scholarships. This path, atypical and demanding, has profoundly marked his destiny. First trained at the hotel school in the city of Liège, he discovered the world for the first time by flying to New York at the age of 18, an enriching experience that would fuel his openness and curiosity. Back in Belgium, he completed his military service in 1994, during which he had a life-changing moment: meeting his future wife and in-laws, who, a few years later, encouraged him to go back to school.
With tenacity, he passed the central jury and joined the University Faculties of Notre-Dame de la Paix in Namur (now UNamur) to undertake law studies. Becoming a lawyer, he began his career in a prestigious Brussels law firm, before turning to the private sector as legal director in real estate development. It is quickly distinguished by its ability to articulate legal issues and economic realities. Driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit, he founded his own development structures and became one of the forerunners of mergers and acquisitions of heritage companies. For him, success is measured not only in numbers, but by the ability to open doors to the less fortunate.
Marie-Pierre, meanwhile, embodies another type of stability. Coming from a close-knit and well-surrounded family, she follows a more orthodox path: high school, then law studies at the University of Namur. Initially planning to become a bailiff, she ultimately chooses the notary career path, following the advice of a friend of her parents. She eventually became a notary and worked on a self-employed basis for more than 15 years. During her studies, she supports all families with the same care, whether they are estates, donations or life projects. Her rigour, consistency and kindness make her a pillar of trust. She embodies the values of resilience, transmission and fairness, which apply on a daily basis.
It was often Gerald who pushed her out of her comfort zone, to discover the world from a different perspective, but it was together that they forged their vision of solidarity. Both are convinced that education is not just about education. It is an overarching process: assimilation of knowledge, but also to think freely, to trust one another, to free oneself.
Their involvement in the Mum & Dad Foundation draws on both their shared history and personal convictions. For Gérald, who benefited from a real confidence pact when he resumed his studies, it is natural to return the favour. For Marie-Pierre, whose husband was able to study with social assistance, this is a concrete way of supporting future legal professionals. It is also involved in the TADA (Toekomst Atelier de l’Avenir) network, which promotes the empowerment of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through alternative educational programmes.
Together, they want to offer much more than financial support: an invisible net, tacit encouragement and opportunity. The scholarships awarded by the Mum & Dad Foundation are accompanied by a benevolent requirement: Beneficiaries must validate their year to continue benefiting from it. Because the constraint is not a pressure, but an engine.
Through this initiative, Marie-Pierre and Gérald want to send a clear message to the young people that they support: Your background must never limit your ambitions. Solidarity can be a point of support, a springboard, as well as life-changing.