Free BUDDY COACHING

Supporting Informed Healthy Life Choices

Choices free BUDDY COACHING

Choices Free Buddy Coaching - Call: 0800 2112

Choices buddy coaching is now available for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and status holders. The buddy coaching project is designed to provide more interactive support, with a focus on two-way communication and peer support - especially if you have just arrived in an AZC or have been transferred. Your buddy coach can be very helpful, for support and information to help you adjust to life in the AZC and when moving into your apartment, Dutch society and the queer community.

Our goal is to help everyone get the skills and support needed to cope with the daily challenges faced by LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and status holders. Buddy coaches speak Arabic, Pashto, Turkish, Russian and English
Each buddy coach is available weekdays and Saturdays!
All calls are free, confidential and always anonymous.

Buddy coaches can also call, WhatsApp or video call you at agreed times.
Call 0800 2112

Buddy on-call schedule:

Monday through Saturday

0800 2112

Monday
3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Tonya (Pashto/English)
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – to be announced

Tuesday
3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Moushegh (Farsi, Armenian, and English)
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Ssekindi (Luganda / English)

Wednesday
, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – followed by
, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Carlos (Spanish/English)

Thursday
3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Moushegh (Farsi, Armenian, and English)
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Ssekindi (Luganda / English)

Friday
15:00 to 18:00 - Carlos (Spanish / English)
18:00 to 21:00 - Stan (Russian / English)

Saturday
15:00 to 18:00 - Stan (Russian / English)
18:00 to 21:00 - Tonya (Pashto / English)

Our Buddies:

Carlos (SP/EN)

My name is Carlos Velasco and I am originally from El Salvador. I have a degree in Communications with a specialization in Project Management. For the past three years I have been living in the Netherlands. I decided to be part of the Choices Support Center because I know firsthand how challenging it can be to start a whole new life, with so much uncertainty about what the future holds. I now understand how valuable it is to have someone by your side who listens to you and, through their own experience, can help you navigate this new and often overwhelming reality. It gives me great satisfaction to be able to support others going through this complex and uncertain journey. It allows me to be a positive force for change in their lives and in society as a whole. I am fluent in Spanish and English.

Stan (RU/EN)

Hello, my name is Stan. I am originally from Russia. I have been in the Netherlands since December 2023. From the moment I was transferred to an AZC, I was so frustrated with the experience that I immediately started looking for a way out, and actually found a number of opportunities. I have a background in marketing, and I joined the Choices team because they offer meaningful help rather than executive actions. As a buddy coach, I can provide information on getting a BSN number, help with employment, prepare for job interviews, resume and cover letter, help with administrative issues when moving into an apartment and translate when going to appointments with COA, IND and Municipality.

Tonya (Urdo / EN)

Hello, my name is Tonya Khan, I am a High School as part of my educational journey. I describe myself as someone who is deeply compassionate, grounded in empathy and driven by my desire to support others. I have lived on my own in the Netherlands for the past four years and have personally faced the challenges of loneliness, isolation and living as a transgender person in a new culture. These experiences were not easy, but they allowed me to grow in resilience, emotional intelligence and cultural understanding. What particularly attracts me to Choices is its dedication to providing support that is both nonjudgmental and empowering. I feel very connected to this mission. I believe my personal journey, my ability to understand the pain of others and my calm, thoughtful nature make me well suited to support those who need it most.

Moushegh (FA/AM/EN)

My name is Moushegh Panosian. I am 27 years old and originally from Iran. I speak Farsi, Armenian, and English and have a bachelor's degree in interior design. I am enthusiastic about supporting LGBTQ+ people during the asylum process by listening to them as a friend, without judgment. I consider myself friendly, open-minded, and outgoing. I am still in the asylum process and live in an asylum seekers' center. I know how overwhelming and isolating the beginning of this journey can be, which is why I want to assist others and help them through it.

Ssekindi (LUG / EN)

Hello, my name is Ssekindi Saidat and I am from Uganda. After joining Choices and volunteering for other Choices projects, my life changed. I discovered a family full of love, understanding, kindness, acceptance, and togetherness, something I had missed my whole life. That is why I want to use Choices' buddy program to help other LGBTQ+ people who feel the way I used to feel, so that they too can feel loved and accepted. And there is no better place or organization than Choices to make my wish come true. Call me, and we can talk. I speak English and Luganda.

Download our free Choices 4 Better Living app.

You can use the links below to download the multilingual Choices app with free helpline. The Choices 4 Better Living app is designed to help you find suitable stigma-free queer-friendly care and assistance providers in the Netherlands.

Our app is available in both the App Store and the Google Play Store.

Volunteer

Choices welcomes anyone who would like to volunteer with us. We kindly ask you to fill out an application form on our website. Upon receipt of your application, we will see if you will be invited for an interview. Because answering helpline calls requires specific skills, not everyone who applies will be considered.

The application process is a two-step process. All potential volunteers are first interviewed by the director. After the first stage is completed, the selected person is interviewed and screened by our psychologist to ensure that this person is capable of answering the helpline. We want to make sure that all our volunteers are psychologically prepared and emotionally strong enough to talk to callers who are under great emotional stress and struggling with trauma, isolation and PTSD.