The largest emergency shelter of the Netherlands closes on May 2nd. Radboud University was closely involved with the Heumensoord camp. Who are the volunteers that helped the asylum seekers with all sorts of things? Today: master’s student of Religious Studies Martin Visser (30).

What do you help with?
‘The last couple of months I gave language lessons. I teach Religious Philosophy and History, but I have never taught people that were as eager to learn as the ones I taught Dutch at Heumensoord.’

What did you notice?
‘The camp isn’t filled with Syrians: it is a varied mix of people from the Middle-East, Africa, but also, for example, Russia. A lot of people tell about their former lives in their country of origin. I have seen beautiful photos of Damascus, Aleppo, and Teheran.’

What do you gain from it?
‘Volunteering has changed my life, honestly. I stopped thinking in terms of ethnicity, and more about what people can offer me and what I can offer them.’

What problems did you encounter?
‘It is hard for me to imagine myself in the difficult situation of the camp occupants. Heumensoord is unsuitable for a stay of many months: the lack of privacy and the large amount of people in one room make the living circumstances very hard.’

Has your idea of ‘the refugee’ changed?
‘According to our politicians, the Netherlands is drowning under an enormous wave of refugees and it is more than our country can handle. But I think that the venturous, studious and hardworking people I met in Heumensoord can be a true enrichment to our society. However, having a good neighbor who is willing to get them on track and help them learn the language is key to that.’ / Nicole Nibbering