Mental Health project in Brussels: Michele, host | WEBCLIP Square ENG

MSB104149

If you think this image is in any way inappropriate, please report it, by including its URN/identifying code and a brief description of your concern in sending an email to [email protected]

Linked assets

Mental Health project in Brussels: Michele, host | WEBCLIP Square FR

Subt. French

Mental Health project in Brussels: Michele, host | WEBCLIP Square NL

Subt. Dutch

Mental Health Project in Brussels

Add to lightbox

Add to cart

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSB104149

Date taken / Date Recorded 04/10/2021 4:46 PM

Country Belgium

Commissioning section MSF-BELGIUM

Photographer / videographer / producer Julien Dewarichet

Usage Rights (MSF) Advertising Campaign, External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available yes

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 2m20s

Maximum Size 1080px × 1080px 339.48 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist It was really obvious not to let people live in inhuman conditions, not eating, or eating outside, or sleeping outside.
My name is Michèle, I am 44 years old. I have been hosting refugees since September 2017.
A bed, a shower and a meal.
For several months, that's all I did. And then at a certain point in my life, I found myself no longer working and so people were able to stay a little longer because I wasn't leaving in the morning. This opened up another perspective, which was to create a relationship, to accompany and to be there a little more fully, humanely than just opening my home.
I welcomed a lot of people from Eritrea, which is a country I couldn't even find on the map, I didn't know, so I did a lot of research as time went by. I read a lot, they told me about their country, their way of life, etc. All of a sudden, I had to face a reality that I hadn't imagined, experiences that I hadn't imagined. There is still a lack of understanding of what man can do to man.

I became aware of MSF's mental health activities when people started to seek asylum. For me, it was a good way to connect the MSF team with young people who are multi-traumatised. I think that knowing that there was someone there who was available without any issues was really very important. It was a sort of safety net for everyone, and so it was reassuring because I had some people who were in very fragile psychological situations, and so to know that they were supported, that if I had a problem or if I was worried, I could call the MSF team.
Knowing that there were people who were thinking about them and who were thinking about sheltering them, I think that made them believe in humanity a bit.