ASSOCIATION DES COMPAGNONS BATISSEURS
SRG Foyer de l'Aubépine ASBL
Havelange, Belgium
⭐️ Activity Title
Social and youth work at Foyer L'Aubépine - Ciney
🌍 What is the European Solidarity Corps (ESC)? The ESC is the EU programme that funds young people aged 18–30 (up to 35 for humanitarian aid) to volunteer on solidarity projects across Europe, with travel, accommodation, food, insurance and monthly pocket money covered. This overview explains who can join, the project types, durations and how to apply. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc
🔷 Activity Details
Description
The non-profit organization “Foyer Aubépine” is located in the village of Havelange, South of Belgium. Aubépine’s team hosts and supports 15 youngsters (from 3 to 18 years old) encountering all sorts of difficulties, in a dangerous situation (health or security), lacking educational support due to their familial environment or to their behaviour. Two ESC volunteers participate in the daily activities organized in the association. The volunteers are a great help in supporting the technical and educational team to take care of children and teenagers daily (Maintenance of the house and garden; prep. of meals; support for homework; leisure activities; games; building activities...). The volunteers also take part in other weekly activities of the local network: vis-à-vis ASBL with people with mental disabilities and the Youth House of Havelange with teenagers. Check this presentation video about Aubépine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpWFm3OOpmE
Accommodation, food and transport arrangements
The volunteer will have an individual room in a fully-equipped apartment with two other ESC volunteers in the town of Ciney, close to the train station. The transport costs from the house to the location of activities will be covered. Food: the volunteer will receive a budget and will take care of the meals by themselves. The volunteer will also receive pocket money and a budget for transport to and from the project.
Training during the activity
With the French-speaking National Agency of Belgium: on-arrival and mid-term seminars. With the support organization in Belgium (Association des Compagnons Bâtisseurs asbl, "CBB"): residential weekends and networking activities with other ESC volunteers on other projects supported by CBB in the French-speaking part of Belgium. The volunteers should be ready to take an active part in the collective networking activities and can count on many local resources to create personal projects.
Participant profile
We expect the volunteer to be very motivated in joining the activity; to have a benevolent attitude with the youngsters and people with mental disabilities; to be interested in local initiatives; active citizenship and intercultural openness; motivated to learn French and to live in a rural area. FOR YOUR APPLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED, PLEASE ALSO APPLY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, CLICK HERE: https://compagnonsbatisseurs.world/activities/long-term/esc-volunteerin…
✍️ How do you write a motivation letter for ESC and Erasmus+? Research the project first, then follow a five-part structure that shows motivation, relevant skills and learning goals. This guide includes a full annotated example, how to adapt it per activity, and the mistakes that cause rejection. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc-motivation-letter
💡 How do you prepare a strong Erasmus+ or ESC application? Read the call carefully, write specific motivation, show skills with examples, and state clear learning goals. This guide gives 10 practical tips plus the common mistakes that lead to rejection. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/erasmus-application-tips
🔑 Key Information
Activity dates
From 01/02/2027 to 31/01/2028
Activity location
Havelange, Belgium
Activity type
Individual volunteering
Looking for participants from
Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
Activity topics
Social challenges
Creativity and culture
Working against discrimination (including gender discrimination)
Deadline for applications
Application deadline: 28/09/2026 23:59
Project code
2025-1-BE04-ESC51-VTJ-000346495
⚖️ What's the difference between ESC and Erasmus+? The ESC is for volunteering and solidarity, while Erasmus+ is broad learning mobility (study, training, youth exchanges). This guide compares age, funding, duration and application route, and includes a "choose this if…" decision guide. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc-vs-erasmus
🔗 Official Project Page
https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/opportunity/54206_en
🔐 How do you register on the ESC Portal? You create an EU Login with two-factor authentication, then complete your profile on the official ESC Portal. This step-by-step guide also fixes common problems like "0 opportunities" and the country-list lock. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/register-esc-portal
🩺 What insurance do ESC volunteers get? Every ESC volunteer gets free group insurance (currently Henner) that complements the EHIC and covers medical, accident, hospitalisation, liability and travel. This guide explains what's insured, the coverage period (home-to-return plus two months) and how your organisation enrols you. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc-insurance
🌍 What is ESC Humanitarian Aid Volunteering? It's the ESC strand (EVHAC) that sends people aged 18–35 to work full-time in countries outside the EU, after mandatory two-stage training. This guide details the training, the application steps and what's covered. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc-humanitarian-aid-volunteering
💰 Is ESC volunteering fully funded? Yes for core costs: travel is reimbursed by distance band (€28–1,735+), and accommodation, food, local transport, insurance, language support and daily pocket money are covered. This guide gives the official 2026 figures and the honest travel-band caveat — note there is no salary. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/is-esc-fully-funded
