Discover smiles & stories - Create social activities for children of refugees.

Name: Discover smiles & stories - Create social activities for children of refugees.
Start: 2025-07-26
End: 2025-08-09
Location: Netherlands

Code: c8308236a0ad4b40b0f536ee420acc0f Copied

Netherlands Children Social work Children Refugees +1 Fixed dates

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

The location of the project is the Refugee Centre Emmen. Emmen is a city of about 60.000 inhabitants in the province of Drenthe in the northern part of the Netherlands. This refugee centre (in Dutch: ‘AZC Emmen') has a capacity for about 400 refugees. This particular place is a location for families with under age children whose application for asylum has been denied by the Dutch government. These families will in time return to their homeland. Our partner is the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (in Dutch: COA). The COA provides accommodation during the asylum procedure and prepares asylum seekers for staying in the Netherlands, returning to their country of origin or transmigration. At the moment COA manages about 100 centres in the Netherlands. COA is an independent administrative body funded by the Dutch Ministry of Justice. The COA works together with a partner named ‘De Vrolijkheid': the National Foundation for the Promotion of Happiness. The Happiness is a multicultural, not-for-profit network of artists, play writers, actors, musicians and volunteers who invest in children and teenagers in asylum-seeking centres. The Happiness organises creative activities on a regular basis in 30 asylum-seeking centres in the Netherlands. Please note that it is not allowed to take pictures and/or make videos in the refugee centre.

💼 What the programme involves

The project takes place in the refugee centre in Emmen which is a location for families with children. The children you will be working with are between 4 and 12 years. These children participate in a school program, but during the months of July and August, there is the summer holiday break. The volunteers organise activities for and with the children. This type of work calls for creative people who can make up all sorts of games from scratch to play with the children: music, sports, arts, language sessions, creativity, etc. Therefore the content of this project is up to you and the other participants. The games are scheduled throughout the week.

🏠 Accommodation on site

Volunteers will stay at a small campsite, almost a 30min bike ride. Minicamping De Emmerdennen. (Adress camping place:Oude Roswinkelerweg 118, 7814 RT Emmen, near to the centre of Emmen.) The accommodation will be in a tent. You can either bring your own tent or use one of ours. In that case you will share a tent with one other volunteer. It's necessary to bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping math

🍲 Food

There are cooking facilities and the group will cook for themselves. There is a big tent for cooking, eating, group activities or to hang out.

📍 About the location

🎒 Leisure activities

There will be sufficient free time. Together with your camp leaders you will discuss the recreational program. Emmen is an attractive city with lots of activities in the summertime. You can visit places nearby and explore the surroundings. The area is declared a UNESCO-Geopark by the United Nations. Emmen is very well accessible by train and bus. Biggest attraction is the theme park Wildlands Adventure Zoo. Near the campingsite is also a earthwork from the Amercan artist Robert Smitson, Broken Circle and Spiral Hill(1971)

⚠️ Requirements

Due to the nature of the work a Criminal Record, Certificate of Conduct and a motivation letter are required. Note: There is no student discount for this project. What to bring: Must bring (obligated) 1)Sleeping mattress / sleeping mat, sleeping bag 2)Old working clothes and shoes 3)Rain is spread out over the year, so bring warm clothes, a raincoat and a swimming suit 4)Soap, toiletries and a towel(s) Wise to bring 1)Recipes from your own country 2)Driver’s license that is valid in Holland, in case you have one 3)Sunglasses and something on your head against the sun! Nice to bring 1)Musical instruments, ideas for games/activities 2)Energy, enthusiasm and an open mind! 3)A sense of humor Relevant training or professional experience in order to work with vulnerable children is desirable. It could be helpful to speak an intermediate level of English.

🤝 Meeting point

There is no designated meeting point. Normally, participants are expected at Emmen-South station at two times: 14:00 and 16:00. The luggage will be handled by a colleague from SIW, and the participants will walk 150 meters to the AZC complex, where they will receive bicycles.

ℹ️ Additional information

Due to the system limitations, the option to select 'other' gender is unavailable. However, our projects are inclusive and open to everyone, regardless of gender, religion, or cultural background. If you are gender-neutral, feel free to share this information, and we will make sure to be mindful of it.

Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.