Vzw Habbekrats is committed to supporting underprivileged young people aged 8 to 18. After school hours, they are welcomed into Habbekrats homes, where they can expand their social networks, strengthen their resilience, and build meaningful connections with both peers and society.
Through the project “Krats Along the Sustainable Food Chain”, vzw Habbekrats aims to introduce vulnerable young people from Wetteren to the principles of ecology and sustainability by connecting them with organisations and companies that share these values.
The Scheldt Valley is home to numerous farms that practise organic and biodynamic agriculture and livestock farming. Krats, the mascot of Habbekrats, represents the young people participating in the programme. To encourage a healthy and active lifestyle, the children explored the region by bicycle for ten weeks, visiting local organic farms every Wednesday afternoon.
On Thursdays, they enjoyed and tasted dishes prepard using local and sustainable ingredients. To ensure that the knowledge and skills gained through the project would be retained, the youngsters also learned how to cultivate their own vegetable garden at De Loft, the Habbekrats meeting place in the Overbeke district of Wetteren. With the support of local volunteers, they learned to grow their own vegetables, which could then be shared and enjoyed by the neighbourhood.
The project ran a crowdfunding campaign between mid-April and mid-June 2021. The campaign was successful, raising €6,080 with the support of 60 contributors. The VGP Foundation provided additional funding to help bring the project to life.
