Mobile bathroom 'Rolling Douche' reaches over 1,600 Brussels residents annually

Each year, 1,666 people in Brussels benefit from the 'Rolling Douche' mobile bathroom service, averaging 45 individuals daily. Since its launch in 2017, this initiative has provided a crucial hygiene service for homeless and vulnerable individuals, allowing them to shower for free and receive clean clothing.

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We know that taking a shower here means for many people that they are away from the street for a while. They escape the tension and pressure that can sometimes be there.

Julien Leclercq, director of 'Rolling Douche,' emphasized the service's importance beyond just hygiene. "We know that taking a shower here means for many people that they are away from the street for a while," he said. "They escape the tension and pressure that can sometimes be there."

The service, operating in Brussels for nearly a decade, has built a loyal user base, with 9 out of 10 users being regular clients. Beyond showers, 'Rolling Douche' offers clean clothes and underwear, along with a warm drink and a listening ear. Jan, a user for five years, noted the surprise of tourists seeing people receive free showers, adding, "That's nice."

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Tourists sometimes look surprised that we get free showers here. That's nice.

'Rolling Douche' operates weekly in tandem with 'Bulle,' a mobile laundry service that washes clothes for the homeless. They make regular stops at Flageyplein on Mondays, the Central Station on Wednesdays, and the South Station on Fridays. Leclercq concluded, "We are satisfied that our solidarity and human mission works. We see it in people's faces, and we try to listen to them as well as possible."

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We are satisfied that our solidarity and human mission works. We see it in people's faces, and we try to listen to them as well as possible.