Johan's story as a volunteer of Casinovatief
Hi Im Johan from Belgium..
In 2009, me, my family, friends, neighbors, sympathizers,.. worked hard to protect this magnificent monument from demolition..
With thousands of signatures, over 500 official complaints and eventualy media attention.. We succeeded..💪
Then it was empty for many years till Lawrence fell in love with it and saw beautiful potention to save this building into it´s original beauty..
Since a few years we work hard with workawayers all over the world to restore it in all of its old glory.. These are travelling adventurers young and older looking for new experiences and we already had over 200 interesting volunteers.. In this community you don´t have to travel to travel, don´t have to take plane, train, bus or bike to experience all kinds of nationalities, foods and stories.. Philosophizing about life in all its aspects is a welcome addition to your mental backpack and we welcome the new and say goodbye and miss those who left..
Thank you to all the volunteers I´ve met who have enriched my life..❤️🏰🌏🌎🌍
Our 'motto': Work hard, play hard..
Thank u for reading our page and your interest in our project..🫶
J*hanneke
Something else very important in my life.. It made me who I am right now as well..: Check YouTube: Baz Luhrmann ´Everybody´s free´ (to wear sunscreen)
Pictures that represent work and free time as a volunteer at Casinovatief:
Liv's experience at Casinovatief
🇨🇦 𝙏𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙛: 𝙇𝙞𝙫 . 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜?
I arrived in Mol as I did any other Workaway. A complete jumble of excitement and nerves. No matter how many photos you look at, or how many reviews you read, you never quite know what you’re walking into. And that first pick-up from the train station is everything.
That day, Lawrence did not disappoint. And he hasn’t disappointed once since.
When you’re in the Casino, it’s not surprising that Lawrence is the man he is. Only someone really special could take on a project so big; with nothing in mind but the will to restore greatness to something forgotten.
It also doesn’t surprise me to learn that nearly every person who has come and gone from the Casino has fallen in love with it. That place will forever be a home to me. Not only because of the memories I made during my stay but because of how sure I am that I will be welcomed back. No matter how much time has passed.
Thank you, Lawrence. For providing a space for people to build families, and to learn how to do things they had never considered trying (not once did I imagine myself enjoying cutting glass and replacing windows before living there). You are one of the most welcoming people I’ve ever met, and I can’t wait to come back!
Volunteering in Mol - Charlotte
𝑽𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒍
Some volunteers shared what they love most about volunteering at the Casino in Mol 
Mostly it is the people you meet there who make the place so special.
The experience of exchanging, working all together 
It is a great place to meet people and share great moments 
Like having nice meals together 
Spend evenings watching movies in a cozy atmosphere 
To be part of a project like the casino is also special.
To be able to contribute to a great purpose 
Workawayers get to learn a lot of different new skills, alongside Lawrence 
Volunteers love the surroundings.
During the weekend, some people like to visit some parts of Belgium, like Brussels, Antwerp, Brugges,...
For some people, it is their first time in Belgium.
They say it is
Very flat 
People are very kind and warm 
It is very multicultural 
Beers are strong 
Volunteering at the Casino is definitely a one life experience. A project you can easily fall in love with.
You make unique memories with people from all over the world 
~ Charlotte (Casino - May 2023) ~