Fortunately, most young people in the asylum seeker facility also have smartphones, and some even have access to laptops or iPads, Azad says.įor the children's part, they seem to be dealing well with the unusual and potentially isolating situation. Thanks to fast, stable Internet, keeping in touch by digital means offered a good solution in Ter Apel. The art boxes contained paper, scissors and instructions to go with videos and online materials. One of the ideas was to create art packages, which were handed out to each child in the center. Within a short time, the artists involved in the project developed all kinds of creative ideas using a range of tools, including building their own websites and even creating a karaoke video, Azad explains. They continued to focus on art, which Azad says "allows children to have the feeling that they can just let go of their situation and just be who they are, just be a kid."Ī former asylum seeker herself, Azad adds that it was also important to maintain Vrolijkheid's "collective approach" in which everyone is equal. The ban led Azad and her team to come up with new ways to connect with the children in the Ter Apel center. But several weeks ago, the camp was placed under a partial lock-down to contain the spread of coronavirus, and all visits from Azad's group "De Vrolijkheid" (Dutch for "happiness") were stopped. Youth worker Gisele Azad normally spends a lot of time at the center creating art projects together with young asylum seekers. Around 200 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam, the town of Ter Apel hosts the Netherlands' biggest residential reception center for asylum seekers.
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