In the beginning there seemed to be no problem. Obeida (23) had a nice apartment in Eindhoven and had a job in logistics. He had a girlfriend and felt at home in Brabant. Yet it went wrong. He ended up on the street and slept in a park at night. The Springplank Foundation decided to help him. According to this organization, there are more and more homeless young people in Brabant. A special team is now guiding 90 young people in Eindhoven alone.
Obeida had come to the Netherlands alone from Syria. He was happy that he had found his place and that he was safe now.
“From the outside it seemed to be going well, but my war trauma started to bother me more and more. I often thought back to what I had experienced in Syria and slept worse and worse. I became so depressed that I could no longer function normally. I stopped shopping and I ate poorly. My relationship ended and I withdrew more and more.”
“I found it difficult to talk about my past.”
Obeida called in sick and didn’t talk about his problems. “I found it difficult to talk about my past. Because I didn’t work, I also got into financial trouble. I had a zero hours contract and had not paid the rent a few times. Then the landlord told me to leave. I didn’t know I could object, so in the end I just went. So I ended up on the street.”
Because he had only been in the Netherlands for a short time and did not know many people yet, it was often not possible to spend the night with friends. In the end he saw no other option than to find a place to sleep in the Henri Dunant Park.
“I left for the park after dark so no one would see me. I slept on a bench or just in the grass. I felt very poor then. I had no house of my own, no bed, I felt weak. I had no prospects,” says Obeida.
“We are seeing more and more young people with financial problems.”
Obeida is not alone. The Springplank Foundation in Eindhoven, Den Bosch, Tilburg and Breda has seen a significant increase in the number of young homeless people. The foundation tries to help people who have run into problems.
According to Iris Tullemans van Springplank, it is difficult to say exactly how many young people are homeless. “We don’t have them all in the picture. There are also young people who sleep with friends or family, but do not have their own place.” The Salvation Army recently spoke of an increase of 50 percent.
According to Tullemans, there are several reasons why young adults become homeless: “We are seeing more and more young people with financial problems. We notice that it is difficult for young people to find a place to live. There are also more young people without a safety net of family and friends.”
“I’m grateful and I’m trying to make it a bright future.”
Obeida slept outside more often and asked around where he could go. “In the end I ended up at Springplank and luckily I got the right help there.”
He now works four days a week as a night porter. “I’m glad I’ve found something I like. I now also have my own apartment. I’m much more calm and I’m taking steps forward. I’m not ashamed of my story. It happened and I know I’m not the “I’m the only one. I’m doing well now. I’m thankful and I’m trying to make it a bright future.”
