By Peter Randewijk, a WJI Europe 2023 alumnus from Switzerland
Mercy was 10 when she made the journey from Nigeria to Brussels. Her father had gotten a job at an international firm there. Belgium was completely different from Nigeria, and sometimes the cultures clashed. That experience stayed with her: How can different cultures function together? Eventually, she decided to study International Cooperation.
In Brussels, the capital of Belgium, French-speaking and Flemish-speaking communities have to live together. Brussels is also the “capital” of Europe, an international hub. This makes Brussels a cultural melting pot par excellence. The census of 2011 shows that more than 180 nationalities with people speaking over 100 languages call Brussels home.
Much of the international population in Brussels is made up of refugees. Since the European refugee crisis of 2015, refugees poured into Europe, looking for asylum. Many came to Belgium, and many of those arriving were children. Fedasil, the Belgian agency for the reception of asylum seekers, takes care of those arriving, and this is where Mercy now works, providing care to unaccompanied minor refugees. They are between 10 and 18 years old, most from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria and Somalia, but there are also Ukrainian, Albanian and Nigerian children.
Refugees arriving on Belgian soil can apply for protection if they are in danger in their home country. This takes place at the refugee arrival center, nicknamed the “petit-chateau.” Once their application is submitted, refugees can receive housing, food, and legal and psychosocial aid while they wait for a final decision about their application. During this process, families can stay together. Unaccompanied children, like the ones Mercy works with, are housed in separate centers from the adults.
The priority for these kids is to be educated. Mercy helps teach the kids. Some of them cannot read and need basic literacy classes. The kids also learn different languages as well as basic life skills, like getting ready for school. This is all in preparation for the children’s integration in a Belgian school.
One of Mercy’s most important tasks is to locate the children’s families. Some might have a distant cousin in Belgium. In that case she facilitates visits. This is a step-by-step process, to make sure the child is safe and comfortable. Once a trustworthy connection is made, the child can visit the family member. Mercy also makes efforts to contact family back home. A dedicated phone is used to talk to parents in the home country. Mercy helps to assure the parents the child is ok.
“Often it is said that Belgium is intolerant towards refugees, but I beg to differ,” says Mercy. The agencies are doing their utmost best to take care of as many as possible. For example, Mercy’s center has a capacity to take care of 50 kids. But today they take care of 80. Meanwhile, other centers are being built. There is a sincere desire at Fedasil to help as many people as possible.
Interaction with the children gives Mercy joy. Sometimes they make her laugh. For example, when one says, “madame, I need to go to the chicken,” meaning he needs to go to the kitchen. She is happy to see the kids help each other. This motivates her to carry on. What is really rewarding is seeing the children get better. They come in broken and hurt. But after some time, they open up. The people of the center become like family. The children regain a spark of hope in their eyes.
One boy in particular touched Mercy’s heart. He was limping on both legs. Because other centers could not give him the help he needed, he stayed a long time at the center. It was difficult to gain his trust. But eventually he opened up. He started being part of community activities. He even wanted to go out and do sports, and his life was transformed.
Nevertheless, mercy’s job is taking an emotional toll. She hears heart-rending stories. A child that was tortured in Libya. Another one forced to do slave labor. For some she cannot locate any family. It can be challenging to deal with this. Prayer helps Mercy. She can pass some of these burdens on to God.
Mercy’s faith carries her through her 12-hour shifts. While she cannot openly evangelize the kids, she can and does share her faith with the children. Sometimes the children respond to her faith. “Pray for me,” a boy once asked her. Sometimes they also pray for her. And some, once they move on, come back to see her. For some, Mercy is the closest thing to family they have.
