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We are a grassroots NGO providing holistic support for displaced women and families living in informal outdoor settlements in Calais and Dunkirk. We are a women-for-women organisation, committed to creating safe spaces for women and children. We aim to provide women with the means to live with dignity, and we advocate for access to shelter and for other human rights to be met.
We are a mobile service, operating from our vehicles.
30 hours of help per week
Social Work: Help with volunteer work in local projects and communities.
Amount: € 200 One time
Fee pays for: Materials for volunteer activities
Description: The fee contributes towars the rent of the volunteer houses, so we can welcome volunteers and give them a comfortable place. We cover your lunches and you have money given by the NGO for cleaning products, hygiene, etc.
2 days off per week
Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.
Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.
Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.
Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.
Fast Internet Access: High-speed internet for you to work remotely
Intermediate English
Over 18 years old
Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers
Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa
We offer support by going on the ground every day, where people are living and staying, to spend time with them, by organising activities (such as arts and crafts and language exchanges), by fulfilling their material needs on an individual basis, and by connecting them to professional organisations for more specialised needs (medical, legal, or psychological). Recognising that “basic needs” includes mental health and well-being, we serve as a moral support, and create dedicated spaces where women can feel comfortable, whether their wish is to talk to someone or to be left alone.
We know that it can be physically and emotionally draining - it is very active and busy and we are outside a lot. The informal camps can be an emotionally challenging environment, especially for people who have never been in this field before. It is really important that people are prepared for these challenges and we offer support to help prepare our volunteers for this as well as during their stay. The help can also be a lot of fun and powerful - we help with some incredible people!
Typically, volunteers will do a mixture of helping in the field and in our warehouse, with at least 2 days off per week.
Our language as a team is English, so it is important that you are comfortable speaking English. If you speak French, or any of the main languages in the informal camps (e.g. Kurdish Sorani, Farsi, Amharic, Urdu, Arabic amongst many more) that would be a great asset.
We have a shared volunteer house with a shared living space, kitchen and dining room, toilets and showers as well as a garden space. We have several volunteer bedrooms - it is likely that you will be sharing a room with one other volunteer. It’s very homely, relaxed and friendly - we take turns cooking and eat together most evenings. We share responsibility for doing grocery shopping as well as home chores of cleaning and cooking.
A warm lunch is provided on site for volunteers every work day.
