The project has been in the works for several months. Finally, Gite Kaléo of Ovifat, in partnership with AMO CAP Sud of Trois-Ponts, has been able to materialize it. Old Waimes Station now welcomes Waimes Youth every Wednesday. “Historically, there was already a space for young people there, but it was closed in 2015. Since then, with the exception of village youth and youth movements, there have been few places to receive young people that are not in these structures. Véronique Esselen, director of the Leisure Project at Gite Kaléo in Ovifat, explains the initiative of the project. Last year, the team responded to a call for projects from the municipality, within the framework of participatory budgeting, and their project was selected. And the authorities specifically decided to make the old station available to them.We will also receive subsidies that will allow us to purchase equipment. And after that, we appealed for donations to equip the premises located upstairs. We share the building with the Academy of Music in Malmedy.“
The station opened on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. In the afternoon, about twenty young people attended. “We are very happy about this first day. Our goal at the beginning is to succeed in retaining the young, so they know there is this space for them.“Every Wednesday, from 1 pm to 5 pm, they can meet there to play board games, play table tennis, do crafts or just chat and relax on the sofas. After that, the teachers hope to organize specific activities,”Like a soccer game near the field, working in the generations garden at the station or cooking. We can also imagine more significant days, a trip to the sea for example. It is the youth who will bring this place back to life and implement projects of interest to them. We will be there to accompany them “
Within a year, the teaching team would like to apply for recognition and submit a file to the Wallonia-Brussels Confederation, in order to justify the appointment of a part-time person. In the meantime, the teachers of Gite Kaléo and Cap Sud will take turns every week to offer this space to young people.
“Food trailblazer. Passionate troublemaker. Coffee fanatic. General analyst. Certified creator. Lifelong music expert. Alcohol specialist.”