We sucessfully completed this project December 2008 under the guidance of Eelco de Jong and Djeyhoun Ostowar and with the help of 'Stichting Sinterklaas.' The aim: to allow children who live in poverty to still enjoy the biggest national celebration: Sinterklaas. Whereas for most children, December 5th is one big party, this is often not the case with children whose families depend on the Voedselbank (Foodbank).
The presents are collected by means of donation from companies and individuals. Last year, Sinterklaas Bestaat received, and was able to give to the children, tickets for the NEMO museum, a boat-trip though Amsterdam and free cinema tickets. Apart from that, barbies, toy-cars, fishing rods, cuddly-toys clothes, sweets and shampoo were also wrapped up in 'de zak'.
An important criterium of Sinterklaas Bestaat is that the gifts are new and (for once), not second hand. No, we want to give the children a present which the other kids from their class will talk about for months.
After contacting the 'Voedselbanken' (Food-Banks) from Terneuzen and Goes, on December 4th, some of our volunteers dressed up as Zwarte Pieten and we even had a Sinterklaas in Goes. After receiving some odd stares on the train, we arrived at the voedselbanken. The aim was to give the children of voedselbank-users an exhillerating night, by giving them presents and sweets, singing with them, drawing pictures with them and generally giving them a night which otherwise they would have missed out on.
If you would like more information, visit www.sinterklaasbestaat.nl. For pictures, go to our photo-album.
Alfa Project
Every week students of the Roosevelt Academy teach Dutch at the local Asylum Seekers Centre. This is a highly necessary activity, since being able to speak the language of the country you live in is crucial.The volunteers come into contact with many different people and cultures, and find it an overall enjoying experience.
Elke week geven studenten van de Roosevelt Academy Nederlandse les op het Asielzoekers Centrum.Deze activiteit is zeer belangrijk voor de bewoners, aangezien de taal spreken van het land waarin je woont nodig is om in de maatschappij te kunnen functioneren.De vrijwilligers komen in contact te staan met vele verschillende mensen van vele verschillende culturen, en vinden het over het algemeen een interessante, verrijkende maar vooral fijne ervaring.
Serious Request: Auction
Serious Request is an event organised by the National Red Cross and of course, Student Desk Zeeland wanted to join in!
We organised an auction in our local student bar. We asked teachers to auction themselves for dishwashing or for helping with homework, and students auctioned themselves to bake Home-made American dinner, or even for guitar lessons. Furthermore, we also had many sponsers who donated gifts to us such as a games packet and High tea vouchers.
In total we raised over 400 euros to help prevent Malaria. Thank you to all our volunteers!
Bake Sales
So far we have organised two bake-sales. The first one was for Serious Request as well. The second one was to help raise money for an upcoming project. The bake-sales are very popular as we sell our delicious home-made cake as the same price as food in the vending machines! Furthermore, people are always very willing to bake, and our foyer smells amazing!
Give a Day: St Valentines Day
Give a day is een grote campagne met verschillende projecten. De bedoeling van de campagne is dat jongeren een dag (of een gedeelte van) bezig zijn met een maatschappelijk project. Meer informatie op http://www.giveaday.nl/
Studentendesk Zeeland gaat een speciaal project uitvoeren, namelijk Give a Day for Valentine. We gaan met een groep jongeren, met een roosje in de handen, naar ouderen toe om hun uit te nodigen voor een date. Door een tijd samen door te brengen op deze speciale dag, proberen we meer begrip en respect tussen ouderen en jongeren te creëren. Veel ouderen zijn eenzaam en veel jongeren doen daar heel weinig aan; daarom gaan we met deze campagne initiatief nemen om een kleine stap vooruit te komen. Heb je interesse om mee te doen of heb je vragen, dan kun je ons altijd mailen: p.parmar@roac.nl
Give a Day is a big campaign with different projects. The aim of the campaign is that young volunteers spend a day (or atleast part of it) helping out the society.
Our project is called Give a Day for Valentine. We will go with a group of students, roses in our hands, to elderly people and invite them for a 'date'. By spending time together, we hope to increase the respect between young and old. Many elderly people are lonely and moreoften than not, young people do not do anything about it. This is why this campaign will make a small step in changing this.
Buddy Programme
In co-orporation with St Willibrord, Middelburg, we have set up a 'Buddy Programme'. The idea is that volunteers will go and visit an Elderly person atleast once a week for an hour. This can be an enriching experience for both people, and we have already had quite a few volunteers sign up
Create Awareness
A group of 6 students wearing Red Cross t-shirts and jumpers went onto the streets of Middelburg to hand out flyers. Kindly, Amnesty International and Organ Donators had given us leaflets and badges to hand out. Our aim is to promote charities, smaller or large, and to make information easily accesible for people. We shall be doing this project regularly as well.
Easter Breakfast for the Elderly
We successfully completed this project on April the 5th. A group of 7 students gathered at 7.50 to start preparing Breakfast for the elderly people in St Willibrord, Middelburg. Each person would get a heated croissant, a slice of easterbread, 3 chocolate easter eggs, a boiled egg, and a slice of ham and cheese. They could also ask for orange-juice. At 9, the breakfast was brought around to all 72 inhabitents of St Willibrord. Everyone was so touched, and a lot of the people shook our hands. Many of them were so excited to be able to have a hard-boiled egg, or orange juice. We believe it went very successfully & want to thank everyone who helped us out.
A Musical at the Kilmop School
Together with the “Klimop school” in Middelburg, a school for children with a mental handicap and learning disabilities, we will perform a theater piece that is planned to be at the end of their school year. It is supposed to be a musical, where every kid has been able to work on.The kids will be supported by our volunteers when it comes to making the décor, singing, dancing and of course acting. Many excited kids have applied to participate and so have some well willing enthusiastic volunteers. The show alreadyseems to become a great spectacle for all to look at and enjoy!
In samenwerking met de “ Klimop School” in Middelburg, een school voor kinderen met een leerproblemen en/of een mentale handicap, zullen we een theater voorstelling maken die aan het eind van het schooljaar plaats zal vinden.De bedoeling is dat het een musicalwordt waarin ieder kindzijn ei kwijt kan, en waar iedereen met plezier aan heeft mee kunnen werken.De kinderen zullen hierin begeleid worden door onze vrijwilligers, onder andere bij het maken van het decor, het zingen, dansen en natuurlijk bij het toneel spelen. Vele enthousiaste kinderen hebben zich aangemeld, even als een aantal wel willende vrijwilligers.Het ziet er naar uit dat een spektakel wordt waar iedereen van kan genieten !
When: Mid April/May
Sponsorloop Middelburg: Middelburg Moves for Mentors
On the 25th of April, the Student Association of Roosevelt Academy, working with various committees, including Red Cross Student Desk Zeeland, and the local council, organized a sponsered-run through the streets of Middelburg. The run was just under 1km, through the shopping streets and the beautiful Abbey. The idea was to have children from local school participate, as well as RA students, and other local residents. All the money they raised goes to a local charity entitled Stichting Mentorschap. This charity provides and trains 'Mentors' for people who are incapable of making their own decisions. As such, this charity helps both older generations, but also younger people with, for example, Down's Syndrome. Despite it being a windy, and slightly cold day, we managed to raise over 1000 euros!!
Thank you Drink
As a huge thank you to all our volunteers, we will organise a thank you drink, with free drinks and sandwiches!
