It is time to put our wonderful Nicole in the spotlight, because honestly: what would we do without her? Nicole has been working tirelessly for Welkom in Utrecht for years and has become an integral part of our team.

It all started in June 2021. After living abroad for a long time, Nicole would move back to the Netherlands. In Thailand she had spent time volunteering in slums, in Germany she worked with refugees and in Sweden she did other volunteer work. And also in the Netherlands she wanted to make herself useful. Through her daughter she ended up at Welkom in Utrecht: “She studied in Utrecht and did volunteer work here. She said Welkom in Utrecht was a nice organization, so I contacted her as well. And she was absolutely right, I really enjoy hobbling around here as a volunteer!” She really likes the fact that so many people with different cultural backgrounds live at an asylum seekers’ center, and besides that she has the feeling she can make a difference here quickly: “At Welkom in Utrecht you can easily set something up. It is very accessible, but with great impact. Many activities are offered in which both azc residents and people from outside the azc can participate, without anything being obligatory. Everyone is welcome.”

Nicole coordinates two language cafes at the azc in Oog in Al, on Wednesday afternoons and Friday mornings. The latter is especially meant for mothers with children and there is always a babysitter present. “With the language cafes of Welkom in Utrecht we try to support people who are still in the asylum procedure and are not yet allowed to take Dutch lessons at a language school. In this phase people have to wait a lot and are not yet allowed to participate in many things. Waiting is one of the worst things and it is not good for your mental health. With the language cafes we give them the opportunity to learn the language a little bit. Every little bit helps!” During a language café, asylum seekers are paired one-on-one or in small groups with a volunteer who teaches them Dutch. But the language café is about much more than just learning the language. “People make contact and pay attention to each other. They come here once a week to practice Dutch together for 1.5 hours, but a lot also happens outside the language café. Language couples invite each other home for lunch, there is a couple that goes swimming together because they both enjoy it, and one volunteer even lent her house to her language buddy for a month while she was on vacation!”

Since there is a lot of one-on-one contact and often a fine bond develops between language buddies, a lot is also shared with each other. Even sad moments, such as after the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. “You noticed that both asylum seekers and volunteers were upset. Many volunteers contacted their buddies to ask if their families were doing well. There was a lot of concern for each other.” When asked what the language café brings Nicole herself, she responds, “a lot of joy but also a lot of sadness. You hear intense stories and sometimes you feel a rollercoaster of emotions. But there is also a lot of warmth and love.” When stories are shared about what people have been through or why they fled to the Netherlands, it can sometimes be quite intense for volunteers. Fortunately, there is good mutual contact between the language café volunteers and regular meetings are organized. During these meetings these kinds of things are discussed, or for example how to deal with cultural differences. It is very nice that there is room to discuss this together.

“During the language café you also really see the positive side of society, volunteers come here to do something good. Many people enjoy getting to know the target group and as a language buddy you quickly have nice contact, so everyone gets something in return pretty quickly.” In matching language buddies, Nicole takes a meticulous approach to promoting this mutual exchange in the best way possible. “I match people instinctively and look at the ability and needs of the volunteers. Often I try to match by age. The most important thing is that people enjoy coming to the language café. If they don’t, adjustments have to be made.”

And that Nicole is beloved among the participants of the language café may be obvious. She recently had to undergo an operation which took her out of the running for a while. But if Nicole doesn’t come to the azc, the azc will come to her! She received several visits, including from Mahmoud and Mohammed (see photo).

Would you also like to become a volunteer with Welkom in Utrecht? For example as a language buddy during Nicole’s language cafe? Or would you like to do something different? Contact us by sending an e-mail to info@welkominutrecht.nu.