“The children’s appreciation is what gives me the utmost satisfaction”

“You get so much in return from the children,” says Meysa Boughdir, volunteer at the day camps Dutch for foreign language newcomers. “At the end of the camp, some of the children say they are going to miss you and then give you a hug. That is so heartwarming.”

“I have an Arabic background myself, so I realize that it is really not easy to live in a foreign country and to speak a foreign language”, Meysa says, “So I had no trouble at all to convince my sister and niece to volunteer as well at our day camps. They also understand how important this project is for foreign language newcomers. In addition to the language, the children learn the culture, meet friends and their self-confidence gets a boost.”

Which activities do you organize for the kids?

“We always work around a theme. The last time we picked the animal farm. On the first day I let the children decorate the room, which was great fun. They loved doing that.”

“In addition to the language moments we stage drama, sing songs, play games, do crafts… In short, they learn the Dutch language in a playful, creative and active way.”

“The NT2 camp during the spring break only lasts 3 days, but you can still see how quickly the children pick up the language. Some of them have been in our country for a year or longer and they already speak Dutch rather well. Others have only been here for a couple of weeks, so there is a lot of information for them to absorb.”

“During the online quiz we played with the group, we saw how the children who already speak the language assisted the starters and lend them a hand during the creative moments. They understand how hard it can be sometimes for newbies. No words are needed for that. Spontaneous contacts ensure that everyone becomes friends with everyone. That is truly wonderful to witness.”

What qualities should a volunteer at the NT2 camps possess?

“First and foremost, it is a necessity to be social and playful, because we play a lot with the children during break times. Creativity is a strong point as well; it is also important to be decisive and empathetic.”

How can you motivate others to volunteer at NT2?

“You really make a difference. The children are very happy with everything you do for them. You get a lot of friendship and appreciation in return. It is an indescribable experience.”

Volunteers wanted

Do you also want to work as a volunteer? Create your Roeland profile here. We will contact you as soon as possible.