Imagine moving to a new country where you don’t know anyone and your partner is at work all day. This is reality for the families of many international students and employees at the TU Delft. Sometimes all you need is a little help and the International Neighbour Group is the answer.
Finding a social network in a new city is daunting especially when you are foreign. The International Neighbour Group was founded over 45 years ago in order to assist in this area. “Our goal is to give international employees of the TU Delft (such as PhD’s, post docs and guest-researchers) but above all partners, a good start to find their way in Delft and the Netherlands,” explains Patty van Woerden, one of the 15 volunteers who run the group.
They meet every Wednesday morning from 10:00 until 12:00 at a meeting point in the City Centre. There are also weekly handicraft sessions, language classes, weekend day trips, festivities and a cooking group. “More than 3 years ago I came to Delft from China. There are great differences in the weather, food, language and culture. It was the International Neighbour Group that gave me lots of help in getting used to the life in Delft,” says group member Xiaohui Zhang.
Home life can be a big stress for employees when they venture to a new country. By joining in on the group’s activities, family members can find a community of their own while their partners are at work. “We give them a chance to build up a new community. Every year we see a big international family who help each other, share experiences and who learn from each other’s cultures,” van Woerden continues, “The start can be difficult, but once a social network is built up, there can be more peace and happiness for the whole family.”
Members of the group span the continents, mirroring the international population of the university. It is made up of young and old, married and single, and activities are always made with children in mind. The volunteers who run the group are warm and welcoming and are always there even for the simplest questions. Membership is free for people attached to the university. Some activites require a small fee.
Zhang doesn’t regret taking a chance by joining, “The most important thing is that I made quite a few friends through the group which helped me to not feel lonely anymore.”
You can get more information about The International Neighbour Group and their schedule on the TU Delft website.
This is part of our ongoing series Meet The Society which highlights different student groups and societies at TU Delft. If you’d like to suggest an organziation for us to cover, please email us at deltainternational@tudelft.nl.
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