Skip to main content
Space for an important announcement
  • SAWA communities

Through activities that connect people, SAWA creates inclusive communities where (young) asylum seekers feel seen and heard. A welcome and much-needed break from the long waiting times and restrictions of the asylum procedure. Together we organise activities and outings in the city, so they can get to know Dutch society in an informal way, make friends, regain (self-)confidence and build a network.

The activities help young people develop their identity, find meaning and settle into a new place. They also help make the long waiting times in the asylum procedure more bearable, more manageable and more meaningful - in this way we work to prevent the negative (mental health) effects of isolation, apathy and chronic stress.

  • Youth

Every week we organise activities in the city with the young people: a mix of excursions, workshops, meeting others, fun and learning. Our activities include visiting museums, cooking together, going out into nature, sports & games, film workshops, a football tournament, horse riding, ice skating, art workshops and going to concerts. By taking them out, we create encounters, build self-confidence and give back a sense of normal life.

women

Although some women take part in the youth groups, in general far fewer women in this age group live in the reception centres. For the women who are there, joining the youth group does not always come naturally. Because we want to reach them too, we regularly organise activities especially for women. With these activities we want to offer a safe, creative space for self-expression, developing skills and connecting with society.

children

The young people often tell us they want to do something for the children who live at the reception centre too. The centre is very basic, and apart from school there are not many activities for the children. That is why we organise activities for the children several times a year, especially during the school holidays. The young people recruit and look after the children.

Social connection

In all our activities we look for social connections with the neighbourhood and the city. On the one hand because the young people very much want to get in touch with Dutch people, and on the other hand to let people in Amsterdam get to know their new neighbours. We strive to build communities where people labelled as refugees are not patronised, romanticised or stereotyped because of what has happened to them or where they come from. We also want to break the stigma on young - often male - asylum seekers by making special encounters possible.

We regularly organise networking dinners and work together with special partners in the city. We are also happy to take part in events where our young people can speak and play a role.

  • SAWA Support

    Through the regular activities, the routine and the time we spend together, we build a bond of trust. Because we do not represent an official agency, the young people trust us with their worries and problems and the complicated issues they run into in their procedure. That is why we spend a large part of our time on the social support of these young people, who are often in a vulnerable position because of their age, because they are here without family and because of their limited rights in the asylum procedure.

    The support we offer includes contact with lawyers, translating letters, arranging medical appointments or referrals, solving bureaucratic problems, helping them find their way on public transport, connecting them with work or study networks, helping with the practical side of life in the Netherlands and making meaningful connections with Dutch society. Because the case managers at the COA and the Dutch Council for Refugees (VWN) often have too many cases, we act as a bridge and refer young people to other organisations where needed.

  • SAWA Advocacy

    As an advocacy organisation, we stand up for the rights, interests and well-being of children, young people and young adults in the asylum procedure. We do this, among other things, by joining campaigns that are relevant and important for our target group, working together with organisations that share the same goals, giving the young people’s stories a platform, taking part in local initiatives that bring neighbours together, and working together on research.