“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). 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:
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 environmental 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:
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 10 minutes). 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!
With the help of technical leaders, volunteers team will conduct various outdoor work: renovation of the goats shelter, construction of a Zen garden, as well as various maintenance: weeding, pruning, size hedges ... ATTENTION: the work can be physically demanding and will only outdoors.
Accommodation & food:
Housing inside the castle. In a 2 dormitories. Shower, toilets are at the same floor, next to the room. Bring a sleeping-bag.Your team will cook together each day. If you follow a special diet, let us know in advance, please. Variants are possible.
Location & leisure:
Mozet is situated just 12km away from the capital of Wallonie Namur, 100,000 inhabitants city. Nevertheless, the Domain is well hidden in countryside and surrounded by charming valleys, forest and typical villages. The closest train station is 5km away from the castle.
Requirements:
Volunteers are asked to take working clothes as well as shoes, boots will be perfect. Think as well to bring rainy clothes in case of wet weather. Sleeping bag is necessary.150 euro of participation fee; leisure time activities are covered.
The project aims at contributing to the preservation and protection of the historical site, newly recognized as World heritage Site as well as raising its cultural and historical importance among international volunteers, local community and visitors. Another objective is to support the ecomuseum of the mining site to get ready for hosting a special exhibition in the framework of ) Mons 2015 i as the city of Mons, located close to the site has been elected as the European capital of culture for 2015. The main activity is preserving the site by cleaning the area, collecting rubbish and removing the over-grown grass. Volunteers will also clean and paint the rooms that will host a special exhibition for Mons 2015. A photo exhibition will be presented in the ecomusem in the end of the workcamp in order to show the result of the volunteers work. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to be involved in the visits of the site and to present pedagogical tools to visitors and the local community in order to raise awareness about World Heritage. Visits of other World Heritage sites of the area will be organised as well as workshops about World Heritage and related themes (industrial migrations, links with current migrations, testimonies,...). It will be asked to volunteers to prepare a short presentation (on any kind of support) of a site inscribed as World Heritage in their country for one of the workshops.
Accomodation & food:
Volunteers will sleep in tents and caravans on the site. A sanitary block will be available. The living conditions are rudimentary Please bring a sleeping bag and a pillow if you need one.Meals will be prepared by volunteers in a kitchen block (kind of site shed) located next to the tents, caravans and sanitary blocks.
Location & leisure:
Bois-du-Luc is one of the oldest collieries in Belgium located in Houdeng-Aimeries, a commune of La Louviere. The activity of this colliery ended in 1973. The working-class neighbourhood was built between 1838 et 1853. The site is subjected to restoration and cultural preservation. The site is established at the heart of the Centre basin, in the Province of Hainaut, between Mons and Charleroi. The Centre basin has known an intense industrial development starting in the first half of the 19th Century before declining during the second half of the 20th Century.
Requirements:
It is a new workcamp. This workcamp is designed for volunteers who have a real interest for World Heritage and for the specific thematic of this project.Please bring good working shoes and clothes as well as a raincoat in case of rainy weather.A project-related motivation letter is required.
The aim of this workcamp is to preserve the natural reserve area surrounding the Nature Centre .More concretely, the work will be mainly dedicated to parks and gardens maintenance: removing the over-grown grass, weeding some parts of the grasslands and the edge of the woods, maintaining footpaths,...Volunteers will also take part in the clean-up of some areas of the reserve where building waste has been found and if time allows it, they will carry out some painting works around the the centre. The work will be quite physical
Accomodation & food:
Volunteers will sleep in a dormitory within the nature centre. Please bring a sleeping bag.Volunteers will be provided with a kitchen and they will cook their meals themselves.
Location & leisure:
This beautiful domain is located in a village called Heure, in the hollow of the green hills of Famenne. The village is located at about 10 km from Marche-en-Famenne and about 40 km of Namur, in the French-speaking part of Belgium. The centre of the village is located at 1 km. There is very little access to public transportation and there isn t any store or bar in the area.
Requirements:
It is a new workcamp. The centre of the village is located at 1 km, there is very little access to public transportation and there isn t any store or bar in the area. This workcamp is designed for nature lovers who are not afraid of outdoor physical work in an isolated place.Please bring good working shoes and clothes as well as a raincoat in case of rainy weather.
With the help of technical leaders, the volunteers will do some outdoor tasks: pruning, cutting invasive trees, building nests with branches for the future relocation of snakes and vipers, maintenance of bicentennial oak, etc. These beautiful places being in nature, you ll go everyday with your tools in the workplace on foot. ATTENTION: This workcamp is only based on manual and outdoor tasks and the work might sometimes be exhausting.
Accomodation & food:
You ll sleep in a house in a small village near Bouillon. Breakfast and dinner will be provided in the cottage and lunch will be taken in your workplace. Volunteers must notify beforehand about specific diet - vegetarian or Muslim if any.
Location & leisure:
The small village of Vresses-sur-semois is located in the south of the country (near the French border). It s located in the deep countryside (about 30 km of the city of Bouillon).During the weekend, it will be possible to organize cultural visits and to travel to the bigger Belgian cities. The town of Gedinne train station is 20 kilometers away from your house. From there, it is very easy to reach bigger urban centers such as Namur, Brussels or Liege.
Requirements:
There will be limited Internet access during the camp available just from time to time. Please take working (trousers or blue jeans) clothes and shoes with you ai boots are just perfect. Check if you have something suitable for a rainy weather.
Age:
15-17
Location:
Vresses-sur-Semois
Airport:
BRU: Brussels Natl (Brussels, Belgium)
Trainstation:
Marche-en-famenne train station
Participation fee:
150 EURO to be paid upon arrival. Leisure time activities are covered.
The main objective of the workcamp will be to help with the organisation of La Nocturne des Coteaux taking place during the first weekend of October. Work will consist in the setting up of the equipment, the design of candlesticks or light holders, bar service,...The remaining time will be dedicated to the outdoor facilities of the eco-centre, the finalisation of the outdoor kitchen area and specifically of the bread oven as well as the building of a sheepfold and outdoor dry toilets.The exact tasks to be carried out during this workcamp will depend on the progress of the works after the workcamps taking place during summertime.
Accomodation & food:
Volunteers will sleep in a common room (dorm) that will be fitted out in premises located at about 300m of the eco-centre. Please bring a sleeping bag and a mattress.Volunteers will be provided with a kitchen where they will cook for themselves. Food will be local, organic and mainly vegetarian.
Location & leisure:
The eco-centre is located in the Saint-Leonard area of Liege, at the foot of the hillside of the Citadel. Liege is the biggest city of Wallonia and the third city of Belgium after Brussels and Antwerp. The hillside of the Citadel is a rural area of more than 90 hectares partly located in the historical centre of Liege, whose the half is classed as Natural Heritage of the Walloon Region. This site has more than 60 monuments recognized as Material Heritage by the Walloon Region and counts 13 km of walking trails.
Requirements:
It is a new workcamp, for volunteers sensitive to environmental issues and with a strong interest for sustainable development. The Light Festival taking place during the weekend, free days will be placed during the week.Please bring good working shoes and clothes as well as a raincoat in case of rainy weather.
« The most beautiful thing about volunteering obviously is the people you meet… the helpfulness the understanding…there is always someone who puts a plate of food in front of you if you say you are not hungry and not in the mood, or gives you a pep talk or simply a hug. »
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