The Fedasil reception center for asylum-seekers in Rixensart hosts individuals or families who have requested asylum in Belgium. They hope, with this request, to get refugee status which will allow them to stay legally in the country. These people come, for example, from Palestine, Afghanistan, Eritrea, DRC, etc. and have fled situations of war, persecution, discrimination or environmental disasters. Before they can settle in Belgium and build their future there, their refugee status must be proven and granted through a long administrative process. In the meantime, they are hosted in this center near Brussels.

Always waiting, the residents of the center never know what tomorrow may bring them. Individual situations are multiple and complex, but never easy. The life of the Fedasil center in Rixensart reflects these individual tragedies and the hopes of the residents.

The Fedasil center of Rixensart has hosted groups of volunteers for many years.
More info: https://www.facebook.com/FedasilRixensart/?locale=fr_FR

Volunteers will share their time between animation of the center's residents (especially the children and teenagers living there) and maintaining the center's outside areas, including its vegetable garden. They may also be asked to do some other small tasks, such as helping to sort clothes donated to the center.

Recreational activities:
Half the time, volunteers will organize and lead activities for the center's residents, particularly children and teenagers. Some examples could be: group games, creative and artistic workshops, board games, walking excursions, going to the swimming pool, sports, movies, cultural visits, ...
The children are between 3 and 12 years old. However, it is impossible to predict in advance the number and ages of children who will be staying in the center at the time of the project. The children speak French.

The teenagers are between 13 and 17 years old. Some arrived in Belgium alone, without family members. Some of the teenagers are also mothers.

If there are not enough children and teenagers in the center during the workcamp, the volunteers will also organize activities for the adults living in the center.

The volunteers will receive the support of the center's animation team, who’s used to work with volunteers every summer. However, they will have some autonomy to offer their own activity ideas.

Outdoor maintenance:
The other half of the time, volunteers will work outside to make the center's environment more pleasant for residents. For example, they will plant and sow flowers, remove weeds, or help out in the center's vegetable garden. They will also carry out maintenance tasks on the playground.

Volunteers will sleep in a mixed dormitory with bunk beds, in an annex building. Toilets are located in the same building, but for showers, volunteers will have to go to the main building. Volunteers will have access to the washing machines in the center’s laundry room and can leave their personal belongings (passport, money, etc.) in the safe at reception if they wish. They will have access to Wi-Fi. They will have tea and coffee available during the day in the staff kitchen.

Volunteers will be cooking their own meals in a small, basic kitchen. So feel free to bring your own recipe ideas, but keep in mind that it should be kept simple. Please let us know in advance if you have any special dietary requirements so that we can do some shopping ahead.

Rixensart is a small town located 25 km from Brussels and 7 km from Wavre. Rixensart still retains its country charm but you can feel its proximity to Brussels (40 minutes by train, 20 by car). The Fedasil center is located outside the city center, but a few steps from the famous lake of Genval, the cinema, shops, supermarkets, the train station…

Sunday the 5th of July at the train station of Rixensart around 3 pm.

Find your route on: www.belgiantrain.be