There is, at least in theory, something for everyone at the Schueberfouer. The "Stëmm vun der Strooss" (voice of the street) association also headed for Luxembourg's largest funfair and took around 110 rough sleepers for a bite and a stroll around the Fouer. For some of them, it was the first time.
Christian Vanderslyen works as a volunteer for the association. The native Belgian came to Luxembourg in 1988 and worked as a Luxair pilot for a long time. He's been volunteering with "Stëmm vun der Strooss" for three years.
The 72-year-old pilot enjoys taking the association's clients on aerial adventures. In an interview with RTL, he explains that he also works as a volunteer at the "Les Gens d'air" association at the airfield in Namur. His connections to this association allow him to organise helicopter tours for the customers of Stëmm vun der Strooss.
At least once a week, Vanderslyen heads to the association's centre on Rue de la Fonderie to talk, laugh, and work with Luxembourg's rough sleepers. The former pilot stresses that his engagement comes natural. In his own words: "I owe a big debt to society. In the past, many people helped me and I never got a chance to say 'thank you'. This is my way of compensating for all the help that I received. I was very poor. I was an orphan. Many people helped me realise my dream of becoming a pilot."
'Compassion' is a word that the former pilot is not particularly fond of. In his opinion, a little bit of engagement and a minimum of communication can make sombody's day. According to Gilles Juckens of Stëmm vun der Stroos, volunteers like Vanderslyen are crucial for the association. "He's the kind of person who likes to have a laugh with people and force them out of their everyday life," he explained. He added that Vanderslyen keeps it casual - which the association's clients like. "They like to come to him to have a chat. We are happy to have people like him," he said.
