📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The Red Cross centre ‘le Merisier\' opened in 1999 due to the emergency to welcome applicants for international protection, mainly from the former Yugoslavia. Residents benefit from housing, food, material assistance, social supervision and medical monitoring during the review period of their files. The centre also offers schooling for children and training for adults. The centre has an average capacity of 450 people (families, single women and men). Residents of the centre come from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Guinea, Palestine, Iraq and Syria, including in total around thirty nationalities.
💼 What the programme involves
According to the schedule drawn up at the start of the project with the team of the centre, the volunteers will organise recreational and other activities (art, cooking, outdoor games, walks, sports) for the children or adults of the centre. Equipment will be available at the games library. Outings will also be organized with residents for outdoor activities to enjoy the region.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Basic comfort. Group accommodation in two connecting rooms for men and women. Complete bedding is offered, bring only your sleeping bag. Communal toilets for the group of volunteers. Food identical to that offered to residents according to the schedule. Meals shared with residents to promote discussion. Everything is halal. The budget of the centers is limited. It is therefore a very basic diet, which is sometimes difficult for the volunteers. You can plan to bring specific food if it’s important to you. The use of drugs and alcohol is strictly prohibited in the centre.
📍 About the location
The centre “Le Merisier” is located in Fraipont, a very old hamlet located in the valley of the river “Vesdre” in the Walloon region in the province of Liège. The station in the village of Fraipont is 20 minutes by train from the station in the city of Liège. The Fraipont station is a 15 minutes walk away from the centre Merisier.
⚠️ Requirements
A motivation letter is required. Liking teamwork and animation is essential. Volunteers with previous animation experiences and a creative mind are particularly welcome. The budget allocated to the reception centres has been significantly reduced, so volunteers will be encouraged to carry out low cost activities. Given the vulnerable public of the centre, neutral clothing is requested.
ℹ️ Additional information
Additional fee : Many SCI workcamps will have an additional fee of €50.00. This will cover - local hosting costs; International insurance costs of the volunteer; a small travel fund to enable disadvantaged volunteers to join projects; administration costs of SCI International.
If you apply through an SCI branch, the fee will be included in the fee you pay to your sending branch. If you apply through a partner organisation you will pay the fee on arrival at the project; direct to the hosting branch or through a PayPal transfer system. When accepted on the project the host branch will give you more details of the various payment options.