Friday 10th August 2017
Summer is (finally) coming in Belgium !
We still have places for volunteers on the Brussels Game Festival, from 23th to 30th August 2017. Please feel free to promote this project to your volunteers !
We are also happy to offer brand new projects with
Ecole des petits chemins and Don Bosco boarding school
Have a great week !
Date : Permanent project
Type : School
Free places : 1
Remarks : the volunteer will stay with a host family
The project consists in creating a school inspired by the active learning teaching methods. It also consists in organising events about the teaching skills topic.
The volunteer will :
– Help and supervise the children everyday from 8AM to 3.30PM.
– Create activities with the teacher’s help
– Support the school activities by being a part of it (different kinds of events)
The project takes place in Lessive, a village in the Famenne area in the countryside.
More information HERE
Date : permanent project
Type : LTV/ Handicap
Free places : 1
Remarks : 3 months minimum (Basic French required)
L’Arche is a non-profit organization and it has a long tradition of welcoming volunteers of all countries, of different social and cultural backgrounds interested in participating and collaborating in its project of integration with persons having different learning disabilities.
The mission of the volunteer consists in assuming accompaniment, education tasks and the various forms of support that taking care of people with learning disabilities involves. Each volunteer takes part in shared life by his presence and by concrete and specific tasks as mentioned above. Among the activities proposed to the volunteers in L’Arche we distinguish : The accompaniment in the domestic activities and routine tasks – support for people with learning disabilities – the internal meetings of the houses and the day center.
More information HERE
Date : permanent project
Type : LTV/ Handicap
Free places : 2
Remarks : 3 months minimum (Basic French required)
The initiative for the creation of A&V is due to parents worried by the lack of structures for people with intellectual disabilities. A&V is an association of three homes and one day center welcoming people with a light to moderate intellectual disability. Located on the outskirts of Brussels, they offer a family life to people who are supervised by professionals and volunteers. During the day, the majority of interns work in sheltered workshops, others go to the day center. The A&V’s mission is to create, manage and run activities and places to live, and work to ensure a social integration of quality to people with intellectual disabilities
Teams in the three houses collaborate regularly and integrate volunteers’ participation in their daily functioning in order to offer the residents a rich and wide social environment. The volunteer is entirely part of the team, and participates to every meeting with the only restriction of meetings under professional confidence.
More information HERE
Date : permanent project
Type : LTV/ Handicap
Free places : full until March 2018
Remarks : 3 months minimum (Basic French required)
Renaissance ASBL is a residential centre hosting 18 adults born with physical disabilities (cerebral palsy).
The centre aims at giving those people an adapted living place. Renaissance is a residential centre in which each occupant has to take part in the daily tasks according to their abilities.
Life at the centre : cooking, food supply control, laundry storage, cleaning of the kitchen.
Indoor activities: theatre, boccia (precision ball sport for disabled people), other sports, painting, expression, media, comics, well-being.
Outdoor activities: swimming, hippotherapy, grocery shopping, cultural excursions
Special events: Ren & Music (music festival), Ren & Bike (adapted bicycles), Ren’ART (painting exhibition), Christmas market.
More information HERE
Date : permanent project from June to September
Type : MTV / Environment/ Agri
Free places : 1
Remarks : 1 month minimum
Le Fagotin is located in Stoumont, in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes. It is a quiet village, surrounded by forests. It is the perfect place to go for a walk in the forest. It has already worked with volunteers. Each year, about fifteen interns come and help on the farm. The farm building belongs to the family. They make it available to the organization. It has bought another building in which work will be done. It will be converted into a residential center.
Volunteers will decide, according to what they prefer to do, what they will do. They can either take part to the pedagogical project or work in the farm. Those who will work on the pedagogical project will supervise groups. Those who prefer manual work will work in the farm (feed animals, clean the barn’) Volunteers must be aware that working in a farm can be very physical. It can be very tiring. Working with animals is a concrete job (feeding animals, cleaning the barn’). Volunteers will always be supervised, they will not be alone. They will help adults who work on the site. Workers will teach them how to do the different tasks. The aim is that they slowly become more and more independent.
More information HERE
Date : permanent project
Type : LTV/ Environment/Agri/Manu
Free places : Full until 2018
Remarks : 1 month minimum
Project NOW is a farm cooperative with social objectives. It was created by 10 people who were joined by 40 “villagers” from the municipality. The aim is to make Waulsort once again attractive for the tourists, to exploit its potential in order to create jobs, support local producers and at the same time recreate proximity services.
On an ecological level, apart from the fact that all products are local, organic and seasonal, nothing is disposable in the Villa 1900 except for toilet paper… We favour ecological and raw material. All the clothes and home textiles are second hand to not support unethical and non-environmental suppliers. The garden is not treated chemically, and grass is not what is mainly covering it. Native species are fostered: there are lots of birds, fed in winter. A pond helps to support biodiversity and hens to reduce waste. In the store, we aim at “zero waste”: we buy a lot of bulk products and favour re-usable packaging.
Our sustainable management tries to embed all aspects of a sustainable society: cooperative management, participatory democracy using collective intelligence, social justice and integrating differences (insertion of the long-term unemployed people, collaboration with people who went through psychiatry, intercultural and intergenerational relations), attention to North-South and present-future balance, to favour local exchanges and local resilience (alternative currency, SEL) through the farm cooperative, individual development, promotion of permaculture and other agroecology types, promotion of soft mobility, reflection on other business and teaching models…
More information HERE
Date : permanent project from June to September 2017
Type : MTV / Environment/ Agri
Free places : 1
Remarks : 1 month minimum
The little village of Han-sur-Lesse lies at the gateway to the Ardennes, one hour by road from Brussels, is home to one of the most famous caves of our continent, the Caves of Han. The Caves of Han, which are exceptional in terms of the beauty of its concretions and the immensity of their chambers, are fashioned by the Lesse river. The river flows through the caves from one side to the other. The site has welcomed almost 20 million visitors for over 250 years. It deserves the three stars the Michelin Green Guide awarded it.
Most of activities volunteers will include guiding and help visitors of the reserve. It is the perfect way to enjoy the wonders of nature and to learn more about the European fauna and flora.
– Watch over our walking path, while walking and observing the visitors in order to guide and help them.
– Help preventing the visitors from leaving the path and venturing in other parts of the Reserve (there is a danger due to wild animals).
– Make sure that the visitors do not damage the equipment or harm the animals, prevent dangerous behaviours (like slipping their hand through the fence), and make sure visitors do not disturb the path (noises, garbage, etc.).
– Be in charge of some of our activities and give information along the path: give the visitor practical information (distances, timetable of the safari-bus, localization of the toilets, rain shelters etc.) and provide those who want to learn more about the animals and the surrounding nature with further details (the volunteers get a basic training in that field at their arrival).
– Assist with the maintenance of the path: emptying the garbage cans and the dry toilets every evening; collecting waste; making some maintenance work (ex : painting of furniture) – Sometimes overtake the coordination of the picking-up of the visitors by the safari-bus at the end of the path (while being in contact with the central service and the drivers of the safari-bus by phone).
– When there are less visitor the volunteers may overtake other tasks, for example making some maintenance work in the Reserve or creating pedagogic tools.
– Occasionally, participate in the preparation and animation of different events which take place in the Domain.
More information HERE
Date : permanent project (from September to July)
Type : Education, kids, social
Free places : 2
Remarks : 3 months minimum, good level of French required
Don Bosco is a boarding school made up of 7 big houses which can host up to 120 youth studying in different schools in Brussels. The main objective is to help these young people to achieve academic, human and social success.
The missions of the volunteer will include daily tutoring (helping the pupils individually), supervising the activities that take place on the evening, supervising mealtimes, waking the pupils up and helping them to prepare their lunch pack, accompanying them to schools, ensuring their moral, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual well-being…
Accommodation at the student hall of residence will be provided.
More information HERE
Date : from 23th to 30th August 2017
Type : Games Festival
Free places : 8
Remarks : Volunteers need to bring a sleeping back and pocket money
Brussels Games Festival is dedicated to games in all their forms and, especially to make people sensitive to game play for all the citizens regardless of age, sex, social status or origin. This is a festive event but it is also civic and educational. Brussels Games festival enhances the social, human and relational dimension.
Festival is nonstop 32-hour festival, including an “IN” programme during the daytime and an “OFF” one during the night. All types of games will be there, reflecting the great diversity of current playing creation: communication games, party games, family games, strategy and management gaming, games from the world, full-size playground, Mölkky championship, meetings with games editors and designers… There will be something for any taste and any generation.
Beside the dates of the festival, volunteers may have to collect material, store, assemble and disassemble facilities, give back material and prepare the stands.
During the festival, volunteers will be in charge of welcoming people, catering, entertainment for game activities, or inform visitors about the festival… depending on their skills.
More information HERE
Date : from 2nd to 17th April 2017
Type : Workcamp /Festival
Free places : 0
Remarks : Volunteers will stay with Belgian students or famillies
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival is a 12 days film festival. 2000 artists and professional are invited to share their passion and experience about cinema in a fantastic atmosphere. More than anything, it is a unique concept. It is one of the most important festivals for genre films in the world. It welcomes more than 60 000 spectators every year. More than 100 films from many different countries are shown. The festival is composed of international films competitions, competitions of face and body paintings, many creative workshops and master classes, a special day dedicated to Japan Animation, a Zombie Parade, and many more crazy events! The line-up is more international than ever, however we dedicate a special part of our program to home-grown Belgian artists.
Volunteers will be part of the local team composed of more than 100 volunteers. They will have to be ready to work at least 5 hours every day. Tasks will be clarified continuously during the festival but volunteers will mainly work with the public: ticket control, public circulation, general information… Volunteers might also have to do some physical work before and after the festival. The job will be more or less the same throughout the whole festival, you have to be aware that it could be repetitive. Volunteers will have to work during the whole festival, from the beginning to the end. They will have to be present 2 days BEFORE. If you plan it in advance, you will be allowed to take 3 days break maximum.
During their free time, you will be free to go to the festival and enjoy the films and events (projections start at 3:00 PM and end at 1:00 AM).
More information HERE
Date : from 22nd April to 5th May 2017
Type : Workcamp/Festival
Free places : 0
Remarks : Volunteers need to bring their own tent
Inc’Rock BW Festival was born in the municipality of Incourt in 2005. This festival has grown over the years and there are more and more people who come. It has gained fame and this is an advantage. It is an event you cannot miss in Wallonia since it gives a hint of what summer festivals will be !
It is organized around three days. Those will be three days of music on three stages (one outside) with more than 40 concerts, animations, and a great atmosphere. There will be rock, urban, hip hop and French music as well as new groups. Moreover, it will give a predominant place to Wallonia and Brussels artists. World-famous artists will also perform. In addition, a firework show, a VIP area and a camping site will be organized.
Three days before the festival starts, volunteers are going to help install stand, tables, barriers, and so on. During the festival, volunteers could enjoy the festival and could be behind the bar and serve beers or food. You could also be in front of the stage to secure the area. After the festival, you will clean the area and help uninstall the area. You will collect and recycle the waste to give a nice and safe ground to the festival-goers. You will discover various sides of the organization of a festival.
The volunteers are young people (18-35 years old) who want to work OUTSIDE and live in a VERY BASIC CAMPING. You have to be flexible and enthusiastic.
Most important, you must love music!
More information HERE
Date : from 30th June to 2th July 2017
Type : Workcamp/Festival
Free places : 0
Remarks : Volunteers need to bring their own tent
It has been a long time since Couleur Café piled up its souks, restaurants, and musicians in the covered market of Schaerbeek, in Brussels, that now became a European cultural centre. In 1990, first edition of Couleur Café, the idea was to have a mixed-raced and friendly festival. Something that would not be big and gloomy. Something like the multicoloured social fabric of Brussels. The program back then was mainly with African and Afro-Cuban music. First success with 5,300 visitors.
During the day (you can work during the morning or the afternoon): distribution of documents to explain to the residents about the event – Put some gates around a part of the area (manual work, so we need strong people – Checking tickets and bags
More information HERE
Date : from 11th to 17th July 2017
Type : Workcamp/Festival
Free places : 0
Remarks : Volunteers need to bring their own tent
Dour Festival is a four-day music festival. Two hundred artists perform on four stages. More than anything, it is a unique concept and a wonderful atmosphere.
More than 1,000 journalists came to the festival. These professionals are generally from Europe. Last year we noted the presence of journalists from Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Reunion Island and the USA.
The line-up is more international than ever. However we dedicate a large part of our program to homegrown Belgian artists.
Volunteers will be part of the Croix Verte (the green cross). Your job is to keep the area clean and tidy it up. The team will collect and recycle the waste to provide the festival-goers with a nice and safe ground.
Volunteers will also have to do physical work. Do not imagine you will simply enjoy the festival; there will be hard work too!
Your job will be the same throughout the whole festival. It could be heavy and repetitive. You will have to work during 5 days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday). The festival dates will be in-between. Volunteers will have to work around 6 hours a day, probably early in the morning. During their free time, you will be free to go to the festival and enjoy the concerts (concerts start at noon and end at 5.00 a.m.).
More information HERE
Date : from 30th July to 11th August 2017
Type : Workcamp/Festival
Free places : 0
Remarks : Volunteers need to bring their own tent
Z! association, organizer of the festival Esperanzah!, aims at designing and organizing remarkable sites, events or cultural and social activities, in order to promote openness and cultural miscegenation.
Volunteers will be responsible for the cleanliness of the festival site. They will collect waste for festival-goers can attend concerts in a welcoming and safe site.
Some more physical tasks will be assigned. They will have to manage waste and educate festival-goers to the protection of the environment.
More information HERE