He finally has a real roof over his head again, a bed, a couch and a desk. There is also a Christmas tree in Robert Bast’s new apartment in Emmen. He has been able to rent the space from the Salvation Army for a few weeks now.
In April, RTV Drenthe will visit the Emmen resident. He is then forced to live in a bicycle caravan in the woods of Emmen. At that time he had just been discovered by the forest guards and had to leave within a week. “After the broadcast, I received offers from several people to come live with them,” says Bast. Ultimately he talks to the Jansen family. “They contacted me because they had a large garden and I could stay there with my caravan.”
Bast and the family click and he moves to their garden with his bicycle caravan. He also has several conversations with the Salvation Army. Life in the caravan is not easy at that moment. It’s humid and he literally has nowhere to go. For a few weeks now he has been able to stay in an apartment provided by the Salvation Army. That takes some getting used to. “Yes, it is nice here, dry and warm too,” says Bast as he gives us a short tour.
It all just needs to fall into place for him. He looks back fondly on his time in the bicycle caravan. “Yes, that was a lot of fun. I would do it again, in a slightly different way. But if the situation forced me to do it, I would do it again.”
It all still needs to fall into place, but 2024 looks good for the Emmen resident. He is engaged in a work-study program through daytime activities and is continuing to look for his ideal place to live. “Somewhere in nature, where I can be self-sufficient. Preferably with my own vegetable garden.”
And he still has his bicycle caravan. It is still in the Jansen family’s garden. Just in case. Although it is not the intention that Robert Bast will use this again.