Leilu

Project LEILU, “Learning to be in the new environment – a holistic approach for youngsters in Luxembourg”, was launched in 2016 in the midst of the so-called “refugee crisis”, with the financial support of the Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte within its initiative mateneen (meaning ‘together’ in Luxembourgish). Targeting young people (ages 15-30) in Luxembourg, and focusing on–but not limited to–asylum seekers and refugees, the project aims to help them use their spare time in a more meaningful way. Furthermore, its objective is to enable them to gain the possibility to transform the time for transition (e.g., school failure, searching for a job, and arriving in a new environment, in the case of asylum seekers) that often produces frustration and doubt, into an opportunity to (re)discover themselves, others and the environment surrounding them.

Participants of LEILU participated in six different activities or modules divided into three domains: “Me and myself” (modules of Anti-violence, Self-discipline through Taekwondo), “Me and others” (Team Building through Adventures, Finding your Talents), and “Me and the environment” (Religious Tolerance, Visual Discovery of Luxembourg. The six modules of LEILU were designed to help its participants to develop empowerment, tolerance, respect, and the socio-cultural values of Luxembourg (and Europe), and to help facilitate interactions between refugees and local community members.

From January 2017 until now, over 370 participants from 49 different countries took part in project LEILU. LEILU offered more than 36 activities (some of which are composed of two-to-four-day activities), workshops, and training. LEILU made partnerships with 19 non-profit organisations and companies, and offered about 20 internships, two of which led to work contracts.