WHAT WE DO > TANDEM > How it helps
Tandem - How it helps
HOW DOES TANDEM HELP HOST ORGANISATIONS?
Supporting Your Role In Integration Work
Many people working in NGOs care deeply about the difficult situation facing refugees and asylum-seekers but are often unsure as to how to make a meaningful contribution at the local, Brussels level. This initiative aims to facilitate this contribution and enable the NGOs to play a part in the integration and support of individuals.
Bringing new perspectives to your work
Often, these organisations are working at the ‘macro’ level on migration and asylum issues: the perspectives that a Tandem volunteer could bring to the work you are doing may benefit your organisation and staff and could feed into research, policy and advocacy work.
Engaging a volunteer under this initiative could also provide an opportunity to develop links with the home countries of the refugees/asylum-seekers, and identify partners/contacts in those countries.
Increasing your capacity
Engaging a Tandem volunteer will provide organisations with additional volunteer capacity to meet their objectives and in some cases help to identify new ones.
HOW DOES TANDEM HELP REFUGEES & ASYLUM-SEEKERS?
Offering opportunities and supporting autonomy
Many refugees and asylum-seekers are eager to work, contribute and give back to the Brussels community. Despite this, they are often stuck in reception centres with little structure to their day, and facing a lack of opportunities. Volunteering may help to restore their sense of self-worth and their dignity, crucial to their individual well-being and health, but also valuable in their path to rebuilding their lives here in Belgium.
After arriving in Belgium, many refugees and asylum-seekers often find it very hard to build a network of contacts and friends. Such a network is vital to get support, advice and to access employment opportunities, and for general well-being. Volunteering with European-level NGOs will enable refugees and asylum-seekers to meet and engage with new people - many of whom are themselves migrants to Belgium - benefit from their experiences, and establish and widen their social networks.
Supporting change-makers
Engagement with your organisation may also support the capacity of individuals to work for change/reconstruction in their countries of origin.
Here are just some of the great organisations that have already hosted Tandem volunteers.
Get involved to join this growing family!
