Flemish Brussels minister selects 10 projects to strengthen Dutch in Brussels
The Flemish minister for Brussels, Cieltje Van Achter (N-VA), has selected ten projects aimed at strengthening the use of Dutch in the Brussels-Capital Region. The initiatives form part of the “Total Dutch Plan” and will be rolled out across several sectors, including healthcare and welfare, family support, youth work, employment and entrepreneurship. The minister announced the selections in a press release on Thursday.
The projects were chosen following a call entitled “Learning Opportunities, Practice Opportunities and Opportunities to Use Dutch in Our Capital”, launched under the Total Dutch Plan. Van Achter reported “an enormous response” to the call.
Focus on healthcare and welfare
Several of the selected initiatives focus on healthcare and welfare. These include efforts to strengthen the Dutch language skills of emergency staff at the European Hospitals, mentoring for current and future Brussels healthcare professionals through the House of Health, and the integration of Dutch more firmly into family care services through Familiehulp. Together, these projects aim to reinforce the position of Dutch within Brussels’ healthcare and welfare sector.
In the field of education and youth, the “Reading is a Superpower” project has also been selected. This initiative of the Flemish Community Commission connects the Dutch-language library network with schools, childcare services and family support organisations in order to promote reading among children and young people aged 0 to 18.
Debateville, which organises a weekly Dutch-language after-school debate and language programme for children from the fourth year of primary school onwards, will expand its activities to Anderlecht with Flemish support. In Jette, the “Jetse Taalprikkels” project has likewise been granted funding, alongside the Kunstkot project, Kunstket.
Language and the labour market
Employment and entrepreneurship also feature prominently. A joint initiative by Syntra Brussels and CVO Lethas will develop a practice-oriented NT2 programme at levels B1 to B2, tailored to aspiring and established entrepreneurs in Brussels. In addition, the “Taalboost” project will provide targeted language support to jobseekers in the capital.
“Our Flemish capital is bilingual, and anyone who lives, grows up, studies, works, or needs care here should be able to communicate fully in Dutch. Dutch must be present, accessible, and functional in all areas of life in Brussels,” Van Achter concluded.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO DAVID ROZING / HOLLANDSE HOOGTE
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