“I am proud to be from Merksplas,” says Seb Quirijnen (20). That’s why he and his neighbor had their street name ‘Koekhoven’ tattooed on their buttocks two years ago, “in a drunken mood, on holiday in Portugal”. His friend Thieme Claes (21) had a spitter statue tattooed on his leg, with the postal code of Merksplas, 2330, underneath, “also in a drunken mood, on holiday in Croatia”. Spetser is the nickname for a resident of Merksplas. The municipality’s logo is based on it, and there is a statue of it at the town hall. The first Spetser Awards were even presented in October.
Merksplas is the place to be for children and young people, according to figures from the Municipal City Monitor. 78 percent of Merksplas residents are satisfied with the youth facilities, and no less than 90 percent are satisfied with the facilities for children. That satisfaction was already there in 2018.
Cohesive young people
“The young people of Merksplas have a lot of connection with each other,” says Youth Councilor Leen Kerremans (41). Of the 8,877 inhabitants, 28 percent are younger than 25 years old. 40 percent of them are members of a youth movement: Plus 13 (a local initiative) or Chiro. This is evident from figures from the Merksplas Population Department. The young people who are not at Chiro are often involved elsewhere, “in a youth movement in another municipality, at a sports club, the music or drawing school”.
“If you are part of a youth movement, you will more quickly develop contacts with people from your own village,” says Lisa Verheyen (21), head teacher at Chiro. Verheyen studies in Leuven and lives there, but after her studies she wants to return to Merksplas – “I am very attached to my village, my friends and the Chiro”. Alexander Van Opstal (23), head leader at Plus 13 and board member of the Zigzag youth center, did the same after his studies in Antwerp: “My social life is here.”
Chiro for everyone
“There is a rich offer in Merksplas for children and young people,” says Reinout Kersemans (21), chairman of the Youth Council and leader at Chiro. Kersemans was born and raised there and has been joining the youth movement as soon as possible. “My parents cooked during the girls’ ten-day camps.” At the age of six he became a member of Chiro, and three years ago he became leader – “This year of children in the third and fourth grades.”
Last year, Kersemans noticed concerns about inflation during meetings. In order to offer all children and young people a place within the Chiro, a new proposal was introduced: different registration fees: in addition to the standard rate, also a cheap and a more expensive rate – “For the people who can afford it.”
“The municipal council is doing its best for us,” he says. Alderman Kerremans confirms: “We support them with infrastructure and subsidies.” This means that the youth movements can still stand on their own two feet.
Inclusive care
The after-school childcare center De Spetter also receives subsidies. But this will change in 2026, and the shelter will have to make do with half as much. Responsible Isabelle Van der Eycken (48): “Our biggest cost is the staff, but I don’t want to save on that.” About 170 children visit every day. There are now eighteen supervisors working, which is approximately one supervisor for every ten children.
The House of the Child and Child and Family are located in the same building, and people who are financially strapped can buy pampers there at a low price.
“An inclusive shelter,” Van der Eycken calls De Spetter. Children with ADHD, autism or diabetes are also cared for. “One of the children is in special education, finds it too busy at school and is therefore taught in one of our classrooms.”
Mother Language Day
Every Wednesday afternoon there is the ‘toddler play point’, where parents and grandparents come to play with their toddlers. There is a special event on Wednesday, because it is ‘mother tongue day’. “Native-speaking parents come to read a book in their mother tongue,” says Van der Eycken, “in Portuguese, Turkish, Albanian, Ukrainian or Romanian.” Brother Jacob is also sung, “and we sing along too.”
Merksplas has many residents of Romanian origin who come to work temporarily in horticultural companies. They often continue to live in the municipality, for example because they start working in construction. “We are trying hard to address the language gap, the youth movements are also working on this,” says Alderman Kerremans.
To obtain the foreign-language books, the childcare center worked closely with the library. “Merksplas is all about connection,” says Van der Eycken. But this does not only apply to the authorities. “Everyone knows each other,” says Alderman Kerremans. “That is what makes Merksplas Merksplas.”
