Ambassador
Jo Lemaire gained fame and appreciation as the singer of the group “Jo Lemaire + Flouze”. Her new sound and beautiful voice, heard on the debut album “Jo Lemaire + Flouze” (1979) immediately caught the attention of European New Wave circles. The group saw true success with the release of their album Pigmy World in 1981, containing a moody synthpop adaptation of Serge Gainsbourg’s “Je suis venue te dire que je m’en vais“, that propelled the singer into stardom all over Europe and Canada. In 1982, the group separated, and Lemaire continued her career as a solo artist.
Through her concerts abroad, her multilingualism and covers of hits by foreign artists, Lemaire has many fans outside Belgium; in Germany, the Netherlands, and in French-speaking countries like Canada, France, and Switzerland. She has participated in the Transmusicales in Rennes, the Printemps de Bourges, the Rock en France, and many other tours and music festivals.
Jo has supported Payoke as a Goodwill Ambassador since the early years of the organization, sharing a commitment to improving the lives of victims of human trafficking.
On the occasion of the Payoke’s 25th anniversary, in May 2012, Jo celebrates its achievements with a song:
Geen druppel, geen vlokje
In de hemel geen wolkje
Ontwaakt alle marmotten
Het is feest bij Payoke
Vijfentwintig jaar
Zo lang staan ze klaar
Paraat, onvermoeibaar
Werkzaam, strijdbaar
Schreeuw het van het dak
Payoke viert verjaardag
Hang het aan de grote klok
Kom uit je kotje
T’ is feest bij Payoke
Een schuilplaats, een dak
Een luisterend oor, aandacht
Een helpende hand
Gezond verstand
Door dik en dun
Het is niet altijd fun
Zoveel vluchtelingen een nieuwe slavernij
Geen lichte oplossingen
Een licht in de tunnel
Niemand die je betuttelt
Rechtvaardige strijd
Tederheid
Voor mensen in nood
Vooroordelen overboord
Een uitweg, een geste
Warm nest
@JoLemaire
Charlotte Van der Taelen
Young Ambassador
When sixteen-year-old Lotte Van der Taelen from Boom, Antwerp, realized that unrealistic and unattainable portrayals of beauty in the media were wreaking havoc on her own body image and that of so many girls around her, she decided to do something about it.
Her Curvy Confidence project is meant to generate conversations about the way young women perceive and feel about their bodies and encourage body positivity. Lotte sells hand-embroidered t-shirts and tank tops and donates part of her proceedings to Payoke.
Traffickers prey on vulnerabilities, and low self-esteem and negative body image are elements that can be easily used to turn a girl into a cycle leading into dependence. Positive self-image and a strong sense of self-worth are likely to help young people feel happy with their bodies and act as a protective factor in terms of better resilience and healthy behaviors.
“I want to help girls understand that a scale can never measure their beauty and self-worth,” says Lotte. “I know that so many girls who fall victims of traffickers lack self-confidence. I support the work of Payoke because I believe that talking about self-esteem issues that all young girls grapple with is the best way to raise awareness, protect ourselves, and look out for one another.”
