Projects

More and more refugees want to enter Europe. The wars in the Middle East and Africa, and the harsh suppression and poverty in many countries, cause people to seek a better future in Europe. Should Europe stop the flow, chase them away or help them? Walls and barbed wire reduce the flow but don’t stop it. Chasing them away often means sending them to drown in the sea, or starvation, or a life of grave suffering in refugee camps, prisons, or as undocumented poor in unsafe areas. The best choice seems to assist them in becoming law-abiding citizens, productive salary earners and future tax payers. That requires humane treatment, language courses, and job training. To avoid that large migrant groups, adhering to religions that preach violence against non-believers, become a threat to well-ordered societies, it is necessary to have integration programs that help migrants to become peaceful, productive and democratic citizens.

To that end, the Sen Foundation tries to assist a small number of refugees in the cities of Nideggen and Düren (Germany). Below are some examples of the background of these refugees (without names to protect them):

1. About 300 persons from Ukraine who fled the Russian attack of their country in February-April 2022 were offered free transportation to Germany and The Netherlands by the FoundationOpenDoorUkraine.Nl. This foundation was set up in 2019 by Sen Board member Joris Voorhoeve and Robert Serry, the retired first Dutch ambassador to Ukraine. The action received support from a number of cities in both countries, many private donors, the Foundation Heart for Children, and the businessman Philip Kammeijer.

This was achieved in cooperation with many volunteers who helped to settle them in the German cities of Düren and Nideggen as well as various Dutch municipalities.

2. In addition, a small number of people from the war-torn Near-East were helped to settle in Germany. The first was a former military from a violent regime, then a family of three, then a family of four who had to flee for a very violent religious group, and recently a former military who was threatened with execution after he refused to fire on peaceful demonstrators. This person was also given assistance to reunite his family with him. All adults were given part- time volunteer work and were encouraged to attend language courses.

We intend to continue these activities in 2023-2024 on a small scale. Our help to Ukrainians focusses on medical and food supplies, delivered by volunteers to war-torn areas. The Foundation OpenDoorUkraine.NL has shifted most of its aid projects to financing repairs of partially destroyed houses in Ukraine by the inhabitants themselves with external help. This assistance could shift in 2023 to a large scale, thanks to cooperation with Oxfam and the Dutch Foundation Vluchteling. For more information, see www.OpenDoorUkraine.NL.

The Sen Foundation has supported the establishment of a new Foundation (OpenDoor Ukraine.NL) which is active in humanitarian, cultural and economic cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands. Its goal is to intensify contacts and increase understanding between the Netherlands and Ukraine.

Through its three thematic tables – economy, humanitarian affairs, and culture & civil society – OpenDoor Ukraine.NL brings together actors and stakeholders from both countries, and helps them to identify partners and opportunities for their activities.

Joris Voorhoeve of the Sen Foundation chairs the Board of Advice and Supervision, while Robert Serry is the Chairman of the Foundation’s Board.

Ilia Barboutev, our director at the Sen Foundation and a PhD. Candidate and teacher in International Relations, is an advisor for the mine risk education project called MINE MARK, which aims at protecting children, youngsters and other vulnerable groups from harm by landmines, cluster ammunition and explosive remnants of war.

The number of casualties due to landmines is rising since 2013 and has reached 8605 confirmed casualties in 2016 worldwide; this is the highest number since 1999. 78% of all recorded casualties were civilians. Positively, the funding to clear explosive remnants of war and to educate vulnerable groups is increasing respectively. That trend makes it possible to develop and implement state-of-the-art technologies in contaminated areas. However, most funds are utilised to clear these areas. That approach is costly and takes way too long to achieve safe living environments. Unfortunately, we do not have that time.

Therefore, the mission of MINE MARK is to reduce the number of casualties from explosive remnants of war by providing free-of-charge, and state-of-the-art Mine Risk Education for affected groups. By working together with local authorities and NGOs, they implement inclusive and sustainable projects which will increase the local populations’ awareness about explosive remnants of war.

Read more about what they currently do here!

In 2015, the Sen Foundation started a project with support of The Hague University to invent and produce a small water purification device to remove salt from saline underground water, to provide drinking water to refugees and poor people in isolated communities. The small-scale desalination device uses a unique technology.

The company Water Future B.V. makes a purification device for horticulture purposes (green houses). The technology is being used in Jerico for drinking water and irrigation.