CBB14/01-FEDASIL Rixensart
Refugee centre
06/04/2014(3.00pm)-19/04/2014(01.00pm)
KIDS -ANIM 7 VOLS
+20 y.o.
The project:
The Rixensart Refugees Centre accommodates people or families who have asked for asylum inBelgium. Refugees come fromKosovo, Chetchnia, Iran, Congo etc. Many ofthem fled fromwar or fromcountries thatwere under adictatorship or devastated by an ecological disaster. Thus they came toBelgium withdreams ofstability, richness andcomfortlife. It is not, however, that easy tobe allowed tosettle inEurope, especially for somebody fromtheSouth or theEast. Before these people may start their new lives, their refugees status has tobe proven andaccepted. While waiting for thedocuments that will enable them toremain legally inour country, theimmigrants are accommodated inthis centre intheBrussels vicinity.
People living there await thesolution concerning their administrative status. They never know whattomorrow may bring tothem. There is apossibility that they will not obtain theauthorisation toremain inBelgium andwill have toleave thecountry. But ontheother hand, they might see their dreams come true andget thechance totake anew start inlife.
Therefore, residents often found themselves owerhelmed by feelings ofrelief andanguish, hope anddisappointment. Thelife ofRixensart Refugees Centre reflects these individual dramas andbig international tensions. Refugees often come with their children, who attend theschool inthevillage inorder tohelp their integration inBelgium.
Website (available inEnglish): http://www.fedasil.be
Work:
The volunteers will give ahand andafresh air totheCentre’s animation team – sportive or social games, billiard, movie clubs, fitness for women, football tournir, craft etc.
To be confirmed in January, they will also give a hand withmanual work like cleaning up a garden or in case of rain – painting interier.
They will be required toget actively involved inthedaily life oftheCentre. Half ofthetime will be devoted toproposals ofactivities for children andadults (according tothepopulation currently present intheCentre).
The management team ofthecentre is very well used towork withvolunteers as they have been hosting this workcamp for several years.
Accommodation:
Volunteers will be lodged inacommon room (dormitory) in a building next to the central one. Showers are accessible in a central building.
Food:
Meals will be provided by theCentre. Please, be aware that meals are simple. Vegetarian or any other diet should be announced in advance.
Location:
Rixensart is located intheBrabant Walloonprovince, 25 km fromBrussels and7 km fromWavre. Thezone is highly urbanised andhas all theusual conveniences. Although, inthepast, it used tobe arural andagricultural area. Thus, Rixensart still keeps its countryside charm but one can feel theproximity ofBrussels (40 minutes by train, 20 by car). Refugees Centre is located outside thetown centre, but in a walking distance from the famous local lake Genval, cinema, shops, supermarkets, train station. Website (in French): http://www.rixensart.be
Specific information:
The volunteers are required tobe atleast 20 year old andtohave basic knowledge ofFrench. Theywill also be obliged tosend us ashort motivation letter inFrench as well as toanswer aquestionnaire for theCentre.
Besides, it is necessary tohave knowledge ofanimation (songs, music, dance, plays…) andtobe able toassume responsibility for asmall group. In addition, it is recommended that they have an idea aboutthepolicy concerning refugees intheir own country, what thepublic image oftherefugees is there, theplace that is assigned for them. Some ofthese issues might be put onthetable during theevenings. Being able tolisten toothers is very important there. This kind ofworkcamp is avery rich personal andhuman experience. It makes people aware ofthecomplexity ofcertain social conditions related tothegreat inequalities onour planet.
Alcohol is formally prohibited intheCentre.
Meeting point:
The 6th of April at the Ottignies train station. A staff member of the Fedasil will wait for you with a van.
Camp language: French.
As a rule, kids are quite fluent in French thank to school, adults take longer time to learn foreign language. The languages are used between residents are very different – French, Russian, English, German… more then 15 in general and depend on current presence of residents.
CBB14/02 - Couleurs du Monde
Red-Cross Refugee center, Rendeux
06/04/2014(3.00pm)-19/04/2014(01.00pm)
ENVI-ANIM 7 VOLS
18+ y.o.
The project:
“Centre Couleurs du Monde" is a refugee centre of the Belgian Red Cross. At a time it can host up to 190 people who asked for asylum in Belgium (for the moment, thanks to the new Belgian politic of immigration, only 115 people lives in Rendeux L). Their stay in the centre is temporary and lasts until the necessary documents to stay legally in this country are ready and their refugee status is proved.
Centre provides such services as accommodation, food, educational courses, medical and social help, cultural, sport events etc.
One of the most important point is that the centre can grant for inhabitants is international exchange not only between themselves but also between them and volunteers from all over the world. That is the main purpose of the camp – intercultural exchange by way of work.
To learn more about the Centre you can visit a page at Red-Cross web-site –
http://www.croix-rouge.be/activites/solidarite/asile-et-migration/les-centres-de28099accueil/couleurs-du-monde-rendeux/
The project 2014 will be the 6th in the history of the Centre. Previous years were successful and were a source of an enthusiasm to go on.
Work:
A mix of environemental “work” & animation with the youngest refugee (0 to 18 years old). Most of the time : construction of a garden for vegetables & aromatic plants (basil, mint, parsley…). In the evening : prepare some activities for the children of the centre (handicraft, sport, games..feel free again)
Accommodation:
Accommodation will be provided in the Centre itself – 2 rooms per 4 volunteers each. Every room has its own bathroom and toilet, but still very simple. The rooms are exactly the same as residents’ ones; but can be provided if there is enough space for people who asked for asylum, who have a priority for accommodation. Smoking and alcohol drinking inside is strictly forbidden.
Food:
Food will be provided, relax – no cooking! Good news if you do not like pork – due to some of the refugees do not eat that, it is not cooked. If you keep a vegetarian diet – you are welcome as well, just let us know.
Location:
Rendeux is a countryside village that lies in the country's Walloon Region and Luxembourg Province and accounts up to 2,500 inhabitants. The village of Rendeux is situated in the valley of the River Ourthe in an area, which attracts many visitors both for its natural beauty and for such nearby medieval villages as La Roche-en-Ardenne (11km) and Durbuy (18km). For more details, please, visit: www.rendeux.be
The closest train station is 8km away – Melreux-Hotton (there is a bus, running till train station – just 10minutes).
Belgium is quite small and cozy country, most cities and nice places are easy reachable by train.
Brussels is about 2h30 away from Rendeux.
Meeting Point:
The 6th of April (3.00 pm) at the Melreux-Hotton train station. A staff member of “Couleurs du Monde»will wait for wait for you with a van.
Camp language:
English, some notions of French will be useful, and also you can find here a lot of people from all over the world, you can discover numerous of other languages! Facial expression, sign language and emotional interjections may help you in any situation! Feel free!
L’asbl Compagnons Bâtisseurs est un association de chantiers de jeunes reconnue et subventionnée, en tant qu’Organisation de jeunesse, par le Ministère de la Jeunesse de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, membre de la Confédération des Organisations de Jeunesse (COJ) et de l’Alliance européenne des associations de service volontaire (ALLIANCE).
Web: http://www.compagnonsbatisseurs.be
Phone: ++32 84 31 44 13