Games and Chats with Refugees at Fenix Museum for World Refugee Day 🌍
Buddy Cafè is back, but at Fenix Museum for World Refugee Day! Spend the evening of June 20th at the newly opened migration museum (Fenix) at the Buddy Cafè and get the chance to connect and have fun with newcomers and refugees through games, music, and warm conversation! 🎲☕
This event:
Celebrate World Refugee Day with us on Friday, June 20th (15:30–21:00) at the newly opened FENIX Museum of Migration in Rotterdam!
This city-wide event brings together 400+ people — locals, newcomers, and people with migration stories — to connect, reflect, and enjoy an afternoon and evening full of movement, music, stories, and togetherness.
Amidst dance workshops, performances, and film screenings, Buddy Café will create a cozy corner of calm — a space to connect over conversation and museum-worthy board games from around the world.
🕰 Buddy Café runs 18:30–21:00, after the big community dinner.
🏛 Location: FENIX Museum, Katendrecht
If interested:
🍽️ Dinner starts at 17:30 (free for refugees, ticketed for others)
The organiser:
This edition of the Buddy Café is a collaboration between Buddy to Buddy, EUC Takes Part, and the FENIX Museum of Migration. The event is part of the museum’s special World Refugee Day program, where many refugee-focused organizations in Rotterdam come together to celebrate diversity and foster new connections.
Website: Buddy to Buddy Rotterdam
Your role:
As a volunteer, your role is simple but powerful:
🎲 Play board games (from Buddy’s curated international collection — or bring your own!)
☕️Have tea or coffee and relax
💬 Get to know new people — locals, newcomers, migrants, fellow students
🌟Be present and welcoming — help create a safe, fun, and inclusive atmosphere
Beginner Level - No prior experience is necessary, no pressure — just bring yourself, your curiosity, and your favorite game if you like. A comprehensive briefings and on-site guidance will be provided. Check this out before signing up.
🤝 Message from the organiser:
“What we actually do is match Rotterdammers with Rotterdam refugees for 4 months to build a friendship. We do this one-on-one. This event (the Buddycafé) is separate to allow people to get to know us in an accessible way. The free 4-month matching process at Buddy to Buddy connects buddies based on shared interests. In this way, we combat loneliness among newcomers and work towards a city in which everyone belongs. You can be of significance by being yourself, by opening up your own world and getting to know each other. In this way, you not only expand his or her world, but also your own.”
No spots remaining!