RECREATION ACTIVITIES
What are recreation activities?
In the Asylum Centers and Local Reception Initiatives, refugees live in anticipation of their asylum application. These are children, teenagers, young people, women and men. Often an asylum center would like to see recreation offered to these people. The volunteers of the recreation work in a team, to organize an activity as a team.
Recreation in asylum centers is very diverse: there’s something for everyone! For example, there is recreation aimed at children, teenagers or young people. But you can also focus on recreation for women or men. In addition, there is also a focus on a certain type of activity. Think of language lessons, computer lessons or homework guidance.
How do we offer recreation activities?
Recreation can be offered at the asylum centers through Gave Veste. Often there’s a need for (one of) these forms of recreation and an asylum center will be happy to receive this. Someone from Gave Veste contacts the asylum center, together with the recreation team, to offer a recreation service. After that, the recreation team can start with recreation activities at the asylum center.
Neutrality in asylum centers
A condition for this voluntary work is: at the asylum center, all activities must be neutral regarding ideology, politics and/or religion. As a volunteer you must be officially neutral. The recreation team of Gave Veste adheres to the agreement to be neutral within the activities at the asylum center.
If good contacts have been built, it’s a good idea to invite and receive refugees at your home or somewhere else. Refugees are allowed to leave the center. It’s fun for them to be in a different environment for some time. It can be great for both to build a relationship of trust and/or a form of friendship. In this equal relationship, you can mean a lot to them as a (buddy) friend. Do you want to be a friend of a refugee? It’s possible!
Recreation through Gave Veste?
As a recreation volunteer at Gave Veste you are part of a team of people doing the same work: you are not alone, you organize the recreation activities together as a team. On team meetings, under management of a Gave Veste employee, there is an opportunity to share stories and discuss questions.
Gave Veste also offers the following care for the recreation volunteers:
• Good training: the basic course Church and Refugee and various follow-up training courses.
• A welcome meeting (about motivation, your own wishes, how to get started, making appointments)
• The volunteer is insured through a risk insurance policy.
• A limited expense allowance is possible.
Do you want to become a recreation volunteer at Gave Veste? Contact Jelle by mail jelle@gaveveste.be