About

How it started.

In the summer of 2005 we brought the "Out of Africa project" back to life, there were meetings with the original founders and other interested people. During the meetings we decided to start a new project.

The name "Out of Africa" was not widening enough to suite the purpose of our aims. A new name and logo was created. We named our organisation "KOLORS", which we believed is open to everybody. It is short, attractive and neutral.

Objectives

a. Helping with integration by trying to understanding each others culture.

It is important for immigrants to know that Belgium is already an old existing land with its people and cultures. Since Belgium is the host country, it’s important that immigrants adapt and understand the cultures of the host country to a degree and for the host country to understand the cultures of the immigrants.

We intend to achieve this by:

1. Organizing cultural events.
2. Intercultural visits and group visits to cultural centers located all over Belgium.
3. Constant interactions free of cultural and religious sentiments as a golden rule to be upheld.
4. Organize sporting events.
5. Organize gatherings that will pull the Belgians and other immigrant’s cultures together to discuss mutually in order to erase stereotypes from both ends

b. Provide adequate information to immigrants in Belgium .

Some immigrants both legal and illegal have problems to find their ways in the Belgium society. They have stayed in Belgium for long without understanding the basics of the two dominant languages in Belgium and they do not understand the avenues to look for work. We would like to help the immigrants in this situation

We can achieve this by:

1. Providing a kind of an Information center in Belgium and having a kind of understanding with the Nigerian and other African embassies to help publicize the center as a place to get vital information on how to go about their daily lives in Belgium and feel good amongst the people of Belgium. Also how to make themselves useful in the society. Especially for newly migrated residents.

c. Create a public awareness advisory regarding risks, dangers and problems of illegal immigration

In order to achieve this point we have worked out the following ways:

1. Set up centers of information in Nigeria to help educate the would-be migrants. These centers would be set up in the hot migration zones identified by our group as the south of Nigeria especially the south east, the south west and the south- south.
2. Start the education from the grass roots by giving lecture sessions in the secondary schools and universities because this is where the intent to migrate begins.
3. Open the European reality to the people. A lot of people have a stereotypic idea of what Europe is. Europe is seen to be a land of milk and honey in Africa.

d. Help in rural community development.

We are going to the grassroots to help provide:

1. Good education in general.
2. Help improve water and sanitation in rural areas.
3. Through the village heads, stir up a community co-operation that will help communities achieve their basic needs without waiting for the authorities.
4. Improve health facilities and health education through the local authorities by calling their attention and helping to provide assistance that will make the process smooth.

December 31st 2005.

2005 - 2006 Annual Report (pdf 311Kb)