House community project

Name: House community project
Start: 2021-08-20
End: 2021-08-30
Location: Jemeppe-sur-Sambre, Belgium

Code: 709b2f08e1a34237b7f8c9746aa2456b Copied

Belgium Renovation Renovation Fixed dates

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

Le Hameau de la Ferme du Terril” is an intergenerational house project with the status of a private foundation, founded in 2014, by citizens questioned by the unequal world in which they live. They want their place of life to be a place where they can experience another way of living, made of simplicity, solidarity, but also an alternative way of life, allowing them to limit their individual consumption by pooling resources. “Le Hameau de la Ferme du Terril” is a grouped accommodation made up of 6 houses in which one 10 adults and 8 children live, from 20 months to 70 years old. This housing project is located on the site of a former coal mine then occupied by a farm. There are many buildings and a field of 5 hectares on which several collective projects have already been carried out: large vegetable garden, orchard, ballad path on the slag heap, hut for children, chicken coop, fenced land for sheep. There are also collective spaces, some of which are furnished, such as a kitchen, a shower, a food storage and a laundry room. Others are in the process of being realized: pottery workshop, carpentry workshop and a multitude of others! In these spaces, the residents would like to be able to host meetings, workshops, training courses promoting the search for a simple and creative life, sharing of knowledge and skills. This housing project is based on the philosophy of the Community Land Trust. Thus, if each family has its own house, the collective living spaces and the land belong to the foundation. The profit is disinterested. The objective is to maintain access to the housing project, built as a place for collective living, promoting living together. The intention of the residents is that to welcome and open up, to the neighborhood, but also more broadly. Since 2 years, the inhabitants of this place have welcomed 5 or 6 migrants in transit, three days a week in order to give them access to basic needs such as food, rest, warmth and hygiene (washing, washing clothes). These people are from Eritrea, they are guided by the Collective S13 which works with migrants who “camp” on the Spy motorway service, on their long migratory journey.

💼 What the programme involves

The people of this place would like to go on different projects with the group of volunteers and with neighbors who would join the team during this period: - The carpentry workshop: for the moment is a simple old hangar. The idea is to build wooden walls, straw and earth-straw and redo the roof. Natural materials are preferred. - Welcoming migrants: residents have just obtained a small prefabricated building to give their passing friends a more comfortable place. But it still needs to be properly isolated, finished fitting it out, fitting out the surroundings in anticipation of winter days. Here too, wood, straw and recovery are favored. - Collaboration with the Collectif S13 participation in the reception activities of migrants of the Collectif (preparation of meals, meet citizens inverted in the collective, share experiences,… - Depending on the post COVID situation. - The organization of a festive moment in the summer: this place is also animated by festive moments, meetings, musical exchanges with friends, families, people from the neighborhood … In order to end the work in a good mood with international volunteers, the locals want to organize a party. The volunteers will help to arrange the spaces, to set up the bar, the sound system, to decorate the place … And then to party ð - Participation in the life of the House Project: vegetable patch, site maintenance. Evenings and Monday will be free.

🏠 Accommodation on site

Volunteers will stay in a prefabricated module or in a tent, depending on the weather. Some tents will be available on site if needed. The showers and the toilet will be outside. Comfort will be closed to what you can find in a scout' camp. Please bring a sleeping bag and a torch (to move inside the buildings) and a toiletry kit (towels...) A kitchen will be available for the volunteers and they will prepare their meals themselves. The volunteers will go grocery shopping and prepare the meals (light at lunch: sandwiches, salads, soup... and hot meal for dinner). A focus will be put on a good management of the collective cooking in order to have quality meals with as few waste as possible. Possibility of vegetarian food. The group will have access to the collective vegetable garden.

📍 About the location

The grouped housing is located in Ham-sur-Sambre, in the commune of Jemeppe sur Sambre, in the region of lower Sambre, in the province of Namur. This small town is located between Namur and Charleroi.

⚠️ Requirements

Bring your sleeping bag, a mattress (, a tent), a torch and toilet case (towel…). Working and raining clothes, working shoes, something to share your culture with us (food, drinks, games…) and your musical instrument if you play one! Remember to also take an ID This workcamp is open to anyone interested in meeting and sharing with others. Smartphone use will be limited, based on rules which will be decided collectively on the first day.

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