Almost two years ago, the National Committee of Social Defence (CNDS) opened Marga in Luxembourg City's Neudorf district, the country's first and only facility of its kind for women affected by drug addiction and other substance-use disorders.
For the women who use it, Marga has become difficult to imagine life without.
Natascha, 24, says women tend to use considerably fewer drugs when they come to the centre, partly because it gives them something they rarely have on the street: the chance to properly rest and sleep. Outside, falling asleep can mean having belongings stolen, while some women have also experienced sexual harassment, she explained.
At Marga, by contrast, "you know you can come here, fall into a deep sleep, and nothing will happen to you", she said. "That's incredibly important."
Natascha is sitting on a sofa in Marga's living room during the interview. Beside her is Henri, a staff member's dog who has been trained as a therapy dog.
Today, Natascha comes across as a confident young woman with an easy smile. She is also the mother of a young son. But things were very different when she first arrived at Marga, she said. At the time, she was living on the street.
Much has changed since then. She no longer uses drugs, now has a flat of her own, and is waiting to begin therapy.
These days, she mainly returns because she enjoys talking to the staff and spending time with them. But Marga also remains deeply personal to her: "They were there for me through the hardest time in my life."
That sense of safety is at the heart of Marga.
The centre opens at 7.15am. Some women arrive from Abrigado's overnight shelter in Bonnevoie, where men and women affected by drug addiction can spend the night. Others come after spending the night working on the street and finally have the chance to sleep.
Marga operates according to a simple principle: everything is possible, but nothing is compulsory.
Coordinator Christine Seiwert said the centre allows women to rediscover elements of an ordinary daily routine. They can prepare their own meals using food available on site and simply spend time in a domestic environment, she explained.
For women living on the street, Seiwert said, one of the most valuable things Marga can offer is the opportunity to experience "a completely normal life" again.
Seiwert has worked in drug support services for four years and has coordinated Marga since it opened in December 2024.
Around 40 women have used the centre more or less regularly since then. The highest number recorded in a single day was seven, which, Seiwert recalled, made for a very busy kitchen.
On the day of RTL's visit, there are just two women, but the atmosphere is lively. They're preparing food and drinking coffee while conversations flow around the room.
Alongside Natascha is another regular client who does not wish to be named. She said the calm she found at Marga gave her the strength to become active again, including looking for a home and employment.
Unlike life on the street, the centre gives women space to breathe and offers support when they want it. While she acknowledged that some people may take advantage of the services available, she insisted that "you can't lump everyone together".
"There are also women who genuinely want to get out of this shit", she said.
Nurse Lena Toepler said experience since the centre opened has shown that progress, whether small or significant, requires time and a relationship of trust.
Marga works according to a principle of acceptance, she explained. That means accepting that someone's situation may deteriorate before it improves, but "it's beautiful to see when things start going back uphill again".
Marga's location in Neudorf is also important, Seiwert said. Unlike in some areas where support services are located, there are no dealers waiting directly outside trying to sell drugs to the women as they leave, she explained.
The women using Marga have very different backgrounds and circumstances. The oldest client is over 70.
Their reasons for coming also vary. Some want to do their laundry, sleep, or take a shower. Others use the centre to look for work.
Officially, Marga is also a supervised drug consumption room, although Seiwert said that part of its role has become far less central. Women are permitted to use drugs intravenously or by smoking, but drug consumption itself "is no longer the priority", she said.
Over the past year and a half, Seiwert estimated that there have been only around 25 to 30 instances of intravenous drug use at the centre. Instead, staff have increasingly noticed demand for Marga to remain open overnight, she said.
At present, the centre operates from 7.15am until 2.45pm. Seiwert said women have been asking since the very first day when overnight opening hours might be introduced.
Whether this can be achieved is ultimately a political decision, she said, involving questions of both usefulness and feasibility. Nevertheless, "it would be good if opening at night became possible in the near future".
In a written response to RTL, the Ministry of Health said drug support services are continuously evaluated and adapted to changing needs.
The ministry acknowledged that overnight opening "could in future represent a further adaptation to constantly evolving needs", but said such a measure is not currently planned.
For women affected by addiction, Marga remains an important point of contact during the day – and, for some, a first step away from life on the street.
At the end of the interview, Natascha said one of the reasons she still returns is the feeling of being recognised and taken seriously.
"You feel like you exist", she says.
She remains deeply grateful to the Marga staff for supporting her through some of her most difficult moments. But ultimately, she said, there is one person motivating her above all others: "At the end of all this, there's my little boy waiting for me."
