We are a registered charity giving direct aid to those who need it. Please help us to help so many! You can gift us a donation to our official charity account
Number. BE95 0018 4395 6458 or PayPal gent4humanity15@gmail.com
Your donation will make a difference, and we will always be grateful!
We are a Belgium based non profit organisation operating from the heart of Gent. We do what we can to help misplaced refugees in terrible conditions in Dunkirk with our international team of directors and volunteers. Now in 2022 we are also supporting Ukrainian refugees.
We believe that every human being has the right to be treated fairly and in dignified way.
It's 2022 and we are regularly going to Dunkirk once a month on a Saturday. You too can get involved! Join this very special international Gent based charity. A rare fusion of internationals and Belgians. You'll be right there on the front line helping refugees in dire straits.
Do you have what it takes to join us?
You can volunteer" on our 'one day' trips to Dunkirk. We have a variety of projects on offer, and you will be spending time with refugees. But you must be over 21 speak very good English, be able to commute to Gent very early in the morning of departure, and legally entitled to cross borders.
Update!! Our first aid project is still operational, as is water distribution and cleaning up the site. We help to take care of the environment.
Our three step volunteer process is important and it’s that simple!
This is in place for every single applicant. It ensures that we have the commitment from you to make our team work efficiently in a front line volunteering situation.
Step one. You apply by giving your email address.
Step two. You fill out the application form.
Step three. You attend the volunteer meeting and training.
Want to know more? Please email gent4humanity15@gmail.com
"You can donate money" We need it to buy special items like new socks and underwear, medical essentials, and water to prevent dehydration. If you give a donation over 40 euros we can send you an "attest" letter you can use to get a percentage of your donation back in your taxes. Our account number is right there on the web page header. Or you can send a donation via PayPal at gent4humanity15@gmail.com or head to our Facebook page and start a fundraiser!!
"You can give us your items" We no longer take second hand clothes or shoes but other items are sorely needed!! We are facing the worst humanitarian crisis since WWII, so please help us to support those who need it. Want to get involved but not sure what to give? It's always best to contact us first either on our contact form, email gent4humanity15@gmail.com or via private message on our Facebook page. We update our list constantly and will be happy to supply you with it.
Since the start of the terrible war in Ukraine we have pledged to help those who arrive in Belgium. They need our support for as long as is necessary!
"When everything you knew is gone. Running for your life with your children, and beloved pets you pray you'll get over the border safe. Your husband, father, brother is of an age to have to stay behind. You are now displaced, and alone. You arrive in another country not knowing where you will sleep that night, get food, and you badly need other items. Some toothpaste, a packet of tissues, nappies.... You left with only a backpack. Your children are crying. They are hungry, bewildered, tired, and so are you.
Decisions have to be made in the heat of the moment. You decide to come to Belgium because a kind volunteer offers to drive you and others there. You know nothing about the country other than it's safe. You arrive and are guided to a registration center. You've cried a lot of tears since the start of the war, and they don't stop now. A host family offers you shelter, and slowly you begin to adapt. But it's not easy. You have nightmares because of the bombing and nights you spent in a shelter. Your children have the same problem. Every day you call your loved ones left behind, and if they don't pick up you panic. You can only imagine the worst."
Right now this, is the world of a Ukrainian refugee and we as a charity are dedicated to helping in Belgium both in the short and long term. Working with refugees is nothing new to us; We began in 2016 when the first wave of Syrian refugees arrived on our shores. We have not stopped helping since. You can help too!! By gifting us a donation for our Ukrainian project. Your money will go 100% to what's needed, and if you would like to know more then you are welcome to email gent4humanity15@gmail.com
To donate our official account number is BE95 0018 4395 6458 or PayPal gent4humanity15@gmail.com and messaging 'For Ukrainian refugees' assures you it's going to the right project. Would you like to volunteer? Then please email for further information about supporting Ukrainian refugees in Gent and other areas of the country. Yes, you CAN make a difference and you can make it today!! “It is the obligation of every person born in a safer room to open the door when someone in danger knocks.”— Dina Nayeri
Donations are always needed!!!!
We are pleased to accept items you have personally collected, but only from the list we supply.
We do not pick up your donations, and in order to bring anything to us in Gent central a prearranged day and hour is required. We can even arrange for you to drop off some evenings and weekends.
Our latest list for Dunkirk. Spring 2022
Blankets and sleeping bags. New or used. If not new they must be clean with no damage.
Socks. New only.
First Aid items.
Dry and loose cough mixture.
Sore throat lozenges.
Grip/flu medications.
Small packets of tissues
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Sanitary pads
Disposable razors for men and women
Shower gel/shampoo
What we do not accept.
Clothes for adults and children.
Toys.
Old towels.
Sheets
Half used bottles of shower gel.
Perfume and cosmetics.
Shoes for adults or children.
Tents.
Sometimes conditions are muddy, damp, cold, and heart-breaking for the refugees. Men, women, children and babies have fled countries that are unstable or war torn. No one would put themselves in such conditions unless their homeland has become unliveable.
When we were helping in Brussels. March 2022; Waterloolaan registration center and Brussels Midi Station.
"I didn't know what to expect the first time I volunteered in Dunkirk. I was told not to go with any expectations so I tried not to. What I encountered shocked me to my core, but the experience made me more determined than ever. I needed to help, no matter what!" A long term volunteer on her first day on site. This could be in Dunkirk or Brussels. Either can have the same impact.
Who knows where they'll be pushed to next?
Every week there are evictions in Dunkirk. Refugees have their tents and other items taken away, but then are left there to wander aimlessly in the hope someone will give them another tent for their children before night falls. It is a never ending cycle of evict and move with no positive end result.
Fortunately, our partner organisation Mobile Refugee Support are on site every day to give tents and sleeping bags plus other items urgently needed. Refugee Community Kitchen comes with hot food.
Many of the refugees are desperate to go to the UK and will risk a life threatening journey across the channel to get there. Some do not. They drown, and in November 2021 27 refugees including children lost their lives trying.....
You can help raise awareness by sharing our Facebook posts, photos, and by keeping up with the latest refugee news!! Remind those around you that the refugee crisis has not gone away....
Seeking asylum is a human right. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Refugee Tale.
Things we carry On The Sea
We carry tears in our eyes: good-bye father, good bye mother
We carry soil in small bags: may home never fade in our hearts
We carry names, stories, memories of our villages, fields, boats
We carry scars from proxy wars of greed
We carry carnage of mining, droughts, floods, genocides
We carry dust of our families and neighbors incinerated in mushroom clouds
We carry our islands sinking under the sea
We carry our hands, feet, bones, hearts and best minds for a new life
We carry diplomas: medicine, engineer, nurse, education, math, poetry, even if they mean nothing to the other shore
We carry railroads, plantations, laundromats, bodegas, taco trucks, farms, factories, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, temples…built on our ancestors’ backs
We carry old homes along the spine, new dreams in our chests
We carry yesterday, today and tomorrow
We’re orphans of the wars forced upon us
We’re refugees of the sea rising from industrial wastes
And we carry our mother tongues
爱(ai)，حب (hubb), ליבע (libe), amor, love
平安 (ping’an), سلام ( salaam), shalom, paz, peace
希望（xi’wang), أمل (’amal), hofenung, esperanza, hope, hope, hope
As we drift…in our rubber boats…from shore…to shore…to shore…
by wang ping
Gallery
Brussels. Our Ukrainian support project. March 2022
Retro memories; Paris photos 2019. No more trips since Corona
First Aid Trip to the city on Saturday the 13th of July. A reflection now as a massive eviction and evacuation of over 2000 refugees took place on Tuesday the 28th of January. The site of where these photos were taken is now devoid of tents and people.
Makeshift camps are everywhere in the north of Paris
There is no sign of humanity!
Aubervilliers. Where refugees mix with the homeless and drug addicted in one of the most troubled parts of Paris.
Life is a terrible struggle.
From Gent to Paris. A crew of 10.
Leaving Gent at 6am in the morning and arriving in Paris a few hours later.
First Aid Assistance
It was non stop all day....Refugees are scattered everywhere
Tents
By a busy road, refugee men, women and children live daily with noise, rats and pollution
Pause.
A hand of human kindness reaches out to someone in first aid as cars thunder past, it's drivers indifferent to the suffering of those we tried to help.
Taking a break
Behind us lies the dangerous crack and cocaine camp where no one dares to go including us. A short walk away is the refugee camp. A fine line separates the two...As of January the 28th 2020 this camp has been demolished.
It's a new way to live in September 2020. Corona times.......
With a refugee Doctor who helped us with translation in first aid
Corona does not defeat us. We wear masks and carry on!
Dunkirk October 2021
Gent4humanity reaching out to young students in Gent about the refugee crisis. 2019.
Volunteering Opportunities
Are you over 21, mature, committed, and have a passion to help those in need. Then look no further than Gent4humanity! We require the best of the best for our front line volunteering projects. Nothing less will do, so if you think you're the one then you're welcome to apply and hopefully join the team on one day monthly trips to Dunkirk, which are always on a Saturday. But please be aware that if you are living too far away from Gent it may not be practical. Also, if you are living in another country please do not apply unless you are planning to move to Gent for study or work under your own steam. For more information and an application form please email in English to gent4humanity15@gmail.com
We are always looking for volunteers with or without cars, translators, first aid and medical personnel, volunteers willing to give their support in distribution, and people who are mature and flexible. If front line volunteering doesn't appeal or isn't practical for you right now, there are always back line volunteer opportunities with other charities in Gent.
But if we are what you're looking for then we're waiting to hear from you. Are you are ready and willing to make a difference in the lives of those so desperate!!
"It is the obligation of every person born in a safer room to open the door when someone in danger knocks.”— Dina Nayeri.
Our volunteers are adaptable wherever they are.
Care and Compassion is required from all our volunteers.
Giving refugee children your time is the most precious gift. Photo taken In February 2020 before Lockdown.
On the front line you never know what to expect. Always be prepared for the unexpected!
Would you like to become part of our special front line team? Then please contact us by email at gent4humanity15@gmail.com to find out more. We are waiting to hear from you!
Video's@Gent4Humanity
Another winter in Dunkirk. We filmed this on Saturday the 25th of November 2017. The hearbreak and desperation of the refugees is clear to see even in 2018
Winter in Calais and Dunkirk. We filmed this on Saturday the 27th of January 2018. Another year, and nothing has changed except the number of desperate refugees has risen.
Our trip to Paris in June 2018 was challenging but very worthwhile. Since then the tent camp in St.Denis has been taken down and many refugees are now displaced onto the streets of the city.
IN THE WOODS OF DUNKIRK. JANUARY 2019
GIVING URGENT FIRST AID IN DUNKIRK. Want to be involved? If you are a qualified first aider, or have a medical background please contact us for more information. We also take on first aid assistants. No experience needed. Just a willingness to help the team.
First aid with no frills attached!
January 2021 means extra Corona measures in first aid.
TALKING HELPS
We expect our team to lend a listening ear when needed.
Refugee reality!
One of our volunteers and a very happy refugee child. Dunkirk
A Priceless moment
Gent4Humanity. A caring non profit organisation based in the heart of Gent Belgium
Gent4Humanity makes it happen every month!
YOU TOO CAN HELP.
Would you like to volunteer with us? Think you have what it takes to make a difference alongside our dynamic and international team of helpers? Interested? Please contact us via Facebook or email in English to
Gent4Humanity15@gmail.
com
Are you a First Aider?
We need you!
We are always needing people who are willing to treat refugees in the most challenging circumstances. Interested? Please contact us via facebook or by email.
Gent4Humanity15@gmail.com
Dunkirk January 2022
We are committed to help clean up the site. Non medical volunteers are always needed for other important projects including this one.
Dunkirk dedication
We could not do this without our amazing volunteers, donators and supporters!
Co-founder, director and head coordinator Oliver Wright.
Co-founder, director and first aid coordinator Michelle Wright.
Director and coordinator Tom Vandenhecke
Director and
coordinator
Alex Karl
Charity member and assistant
coordinator
Gaelle De Clercq
Supporting refugees is our pledge as we go into out seventh year of operation
FLASHBACK!! Our final trip as a large group to the Jungle camp was on Saturday the 8th of October 2016 when this iconic photo was taken. We all felt the end was coming. Tension was rising among the refugees. A few weeks later it was gone, but the crisis is far from over. Now in the winter of 2022, we are still doing what we can in Dunkirk.
Hoping to reach the UK. But too many have drowned trying to cross the channel.....
.
True empathy is looking someone else in the eye and realizing you could be them, and that the only thing separating you is luck, and, in the case of a refugee, geography.
Giving refugee children our time and attention is vital. Former volunteer Rebecca who returned home to the States was a great asset to the team.
The end of the Dunkirk camp in 2017. Burned to the ground.......
~~~~To be in my shoes~~~~The refugee
August 2017.
A powerful and emotional new poem by one of our founders and coordinator Oliver Wright who has spent over 3 years helping refugees.
"This is dedicated to all those I have sought to help in precarious and suffering circumstances. Thanks to all those who read and share."
Today I smile because a God gave me another chance,
I left to start again...
My arms, my legs and my brain my luggage,
As I began to miss my land, the sea behind me, freedom ahead somewhere.
I only wanted to obtain what I couldn't find there. To face a new life is tough but, it's much harder having no future at all, seeing your loved ones starve.
I never had anything that belonged to me, not even the hope of food and water...
In your films you told me this was the land of bread and honey. What was I to do?. Put yourself in my shoes...
Glorious dreams yet empty pockets,
A hopeless ambition for a brighter tomorrow.
Misery is bearable in company, I guess...
Yesterday I envisaged a flag of peace fading,
And I can still remember my mother faking having food in the kitchen.
In some parts of the world pain is routinary,
To be in my shoes, to hear my blues.
Some avoid puddles, others minefields,
Along the shore where my father died, the lighthouse illuminates my exodus from my motherland.
Walk with me along the streets of acrimony,
And you'll see values called illegal in miniature.
To be in my shoes! Tell me, how do you feel?
To be in my shoes! How are your neighbours doing?
To be in my shoes! And with your fathers-in-law, huh?
It's all the same... All the same...
Do you think it's easy to avoid the police? Really?
Do you know what it's like to have no papers?
Do I ask too much when I ask a policeman to treat me as sir?, REALLY?,
Tell me grandmother as you are among them,
Which star shines the brightest for me?
And how can I make them understand my nature, who I am?.
Don't define us as 'boat people', and the boats you see on the news are real... Not just something on your TV.
Behind the images are people you know?... The voyages painful..
It's 2017... Put yourself in my shoes...
Because of your donations we are able to help so many. A typical day in Dunkirk where men, women, children and babies spend their lives in tents with the bare minimum of essentials.
Dunkirk. A small child caught up in a massive problem
Cleaning up to prevents rats is vital
We keep wishing for a better future for so many. Please let them have it.
Our first aid nurse Rosalie has joined MSF and is now volunteering at a refugee camp in Lebanon. We are very proud of her!
Julia did work experience for us in Dunkirk as part of her study course.
Reality in Dunkirk where rats come out at night
One of many evictions in Dunkirk
Gent4humanity volunteers in Paris. A top front line team ready for anything.
Because they care!
Our "Talking Helps" support team in Dunkirk.
Front line volunteers must be ready to take on the unexpected!
We do our best to connect with refugees.
The core concept of unconditional help
Sometimes things get serious. Calling for an ambulance in Dunkirk is not unheard of.
Photo taken by our pro photographer and volunteer Alfonso Briceno
Photo taken by our pro photographer and volunteer Alfonso Briceno
You can contact us on social media
Or you can email. Gent4humanity15@gmail.com
