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| Nasiphe & me, South Africa |
People who know me, know that I’m very passionate about working with children and youth. Ever since I can remember, I have always been affectionate towards working with them. I don’t know why, but I can honestly say that there’s nothing in the entire world that I would rather do than to work with this target group.
I remember that even in primary school I was always eager to find ways to raise as much money as I could for the less fortunate children in Africa. Even at that age, I realised that it’s unfair that the path of your life is been decided based on the country that you’re born in.
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| Ubuntu orphanage, Africa |
I know that I’m very blessed and fortunate to have been born in the Netherlands. I wouldn’t have been given the same opportunities in life if I were to be born in Vietnam.
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| Thou & me, Vietnam |
This is exactly how I felt when I visited India for the first time at the age of seventeen. That nine-day-journey has truly changed the course of my life. I will definitely write a full post about it in the future, but for now the most important thing to mention is that India has given me so much more purpose in life.
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| Kumara & me, India |
Because of India, my love for working with children and youth grew further and to a deeper extend. I know that it’s very cliché, but I truly believe - with every single bone in my body - that the children are our future. Just like in the song the Greatest Love Of All: ‘Teach them well and let them lead the way’.
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| Farm children, Africa |
I know that some people who know me, and even some of my friends, don’t understand how and why I can be so passionate about this. Why I’m giving so much of myself towards this kind of work. Well, I truly believe that everybody has its own purpose on earth. This happens to be mine. It seems that I’m putting in a lot of work and devotion in my work, but truth of the matter is that I’m gaining so much more out of it and this makes it all worth it in the end.
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| Ethiopian youth group |
Nothing makes me more happy or feeling more fulfilled than to see children smile and enjoying life... simply being a child. This is what we often take for granted, because fact is that many children and youth are forced to grow up so fast that the chance of being a kid is taken away from them. To me, this is just not right.
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| I was the groupleader of these inspiring group of youth |
In the end, let the children be children.
Teach them well and they will lead our world towards a better tomorrow. I’m a realistic idealist who truly believe that this should, can and will be done if we all make an effort and invest in our children and youth... so do what you can do and we will reach that better tomorrow!
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| SOS Children's Village, Cape Town, South Africa |
