Dancer and choreographer Jeny Bonsenge named UNHCR’s first Goodwill Ambassador for Belgium
Dancer and choreographer Jeny Bonsenge named UNHCR’s first Goodwill Ambassador for Belgium
Brussels, Belgium, 25 June — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has today announced Belgian dancer, choreographer and entrepreneur Jeny Bonsenge, known to millions as Jeny BSG, as a Goodwill Ambassador for the organisation, recognizing her commitment to raise awareness about refugees and forcibly displaced people around the world.
Born in Liege, Belgium, to parents who fled conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jeny's appointment carries special significance. Her parents’ journey in search of safety helped shape her understanding of resilience, and opportunity—values that have become central to both her personal story and her public platform. Jeny is also the first UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador from Belgium since the agency was created in 1950.
Known for building bridges across cultures through dance, Jeny inspires people through her creativity, authenticity and positive energy. Since partnering with UNHCR in September 2024 she has used her platform to spotlight the realities faced by displaced communities and to encourage greater empathy and solidarity, particularly among younger generations, attending events with the private sector, launching a dance challenge, with explainer videos disseminated widely on social media channels, and by helping amplify refugee issues at meetings with Members of the European Parliament.
Accepting her new role, Jeny said: “If my story can help even one young person believe that their background is a strength rather than a limitation, then that's a powerful beginning’. As UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, I want to help people see refugees not through the lens of crisis, but through their potential. Dance taught me that movement is a universal language; compassion is too.”
“Refugees are often reduced to numbers, but every refugee has a story, a dream and a future worth fighting for,” Bonsenge continued. “My parents experienced forced displacement, but their story became one of courage, opportunity, and hope. I know firsthand how a single chance can change the course of a life.
Throughout her role, Jeny will work with UNHCR, the world’s leading global organisation for refugees and people forced to flee, to leverage her platform to amplify refugee voices, advocate for safety and protection of refugees and fundraise to help support UNHCR's work around the world in a time of funding crisis.
Welcoming Jeny as Belgiums first ever Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, Jean Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR’s Representative in Belgium said “Jeny represents a generation that wants to use their public voice to make a positive impact on their communities. Her commitment to changing perceptions of refugees is rooted in her own personal journey. Through her art, she connects young people from different walks of life and helps foster understanding across communities. What refugees need most now is to be welcomed and given the opportunity to belong, thrive and contribute. ”
Vittoria Volgare, +32475362065, [email protected].
