Stichting Volunteer­​ Correct

Bibi is a third year bachelor student of Media and Culture at the University of Amsterdam. About her involvement with Volunteer Correct she states: “During my study i have learnt to think critically about societal issues. I look forward to facing the challenge of putting theory into practice during this project”.

Operating in a media environment is nothing new for Bibi, who works as editor/researcher for the Dutch television show “Man Bijt Hond (Man Bites Dog)”, a show in which ordinary people share their extraordinary stories.

Adding to this Bibi’s extensive travel history, her time spent as au-pair abroad and her work as ambassador for Travel Active – a company offering commercial voluntourism -, we are happy to have her strengthen our team.

Lisa is in her third year of Media, Information en Communication at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Through her study she has been able to gain experience in television production and further developed applied skills during an exchange in the United States of America.

After several other trips, Lisa started to toy with the idea of doing volunteering work abroad, but found herself confronted with questions about the valu and possible harmful effects that her short stay would inflict on the children she would be trying to help. This is when she j=heard of Project Cape Town: “Asking relevant questions, and using media to get those across.. it seemed like the program was made for me!”

With her experience in production and writing and her critical reflection skills, we welcome Lisa to the Project Cape Town team.

Marjorie’s involvement with Volunteer Correct is a marked example of how someone has gradually changed her course in life.

Coming from an International Business and Languages degree, she worked several years in the commercial sector, but was repelled by the lack of “rational and emotional gratification”. Marjorie then went on to study logopedia and has since then worked in care constellations, helping individuals with a complex set of needs, as professional and as volunteer.

“I receive immense satisfaction from consciously freeing time to care for a fellow human being. My choice for this specific group of people with a set of needs has been deliberate: I feel strongly about them, as a therapist and as a human being.”

Marjorie was drawn to Project Cape Town because of the possibility it creates to reflect critically and gauge need and outcome of a process. With her busniess background and health care experience, we believe she will be a key part of the team.

Niko has a background of Social Information Science, and has worked as IT-specialist in a myriad of positions, including his current work at the Dutch ministry of internal affairs. Niko’s involvement in voluntourism was ignited when he stayed in Arusha, Tanzania and dug deeper into the unclear structures of the voluntourism industry.

His critical interest in the subject lead him to start GoTanzania, a voluntourism comparison site. Due to the similarities he found, Niko decided to join project Cape Town: “my goal is a deepening of my understanding of the world of international volunteering. What motivation leads the supply side? How does it engage the demand side? Can I get to weigh good, bad – and more importantly – everything in between?”.

With his quarter century of experience in network, communication and en organisation management and his personally engaged curiosity, we are really glad to have him strenghten our project team.

Luca Goossens is finishing her Psychology bachelor at the University of Amsterdam. She has spent time volunteering in Nepal and was drawn to Project Cape Town by her interest in sustainability, her passion for writing and the revelations that sprang from her own experience as volunteer teaching English.

“I found out that the Nepalese teacher I was replacing – 10 years my senior, with a university degree – was temporarily sent on unpaid leave to make room for me, an 18-year-old girl without any teaching experience whatsoever. That made me think about the consequences of the constant flow of Western help into developing countries.”

With her study experience on ‘attachment’ psychology and her ambition to focus on volunteer expectations, we are happy to welcome Luca to our team.

Annemieke is currently finishing her masters in Econometrics at the University of Amsterdam, with an added background in cross cultural psychology. She fulfilled a part time lecturing position at the Nyenrode New Business School, has ample travel experience and served on the board of international student association AIESEC.

Annemieke was drawn to the project by it’s appeal to transparency. “I have learned during my Econometrics study to be critical; towards numbers and statistics, but also towards interests. Statistics is often used to support opinions, a statistical results is dependent on perspective. I am very motivated to expose these interests.”

Monique Hindriks is a second year Media and Culture student. Apart from interest in media, she has a deep calling for politics. From a volunteering experience with her church in Ukraine, she has asked herself questions whether the help they offered was valuable or whether it was a way to redeem their (Christian) guilt.

Monique swears by accessibility of information: “I believe in openly accessible  information. Current commercial interests  and a lack of a loud and independent source create this opaque voluntourism industry. By making information accessible, people will see that not all is as it seems.”

With her experience as intern at Dutch broadcaster BNN and her role as organizer of events for a political youth movement, we look forward to see her versatile talents at work.

Stein Wetzer is about to finish her bachelor of industrial Design at the Delft University of Technology. Related to that she teaches as student assistant at her study and did a minor International Development and Entrepreneurship, for which she spent 3 months interning in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

She was drawn to Project Cape Town by the double edged sword it presents: good for volunteers and volunteer agencies, so ‘usefulness’ becomes the measure. She also likes the prospect of learning: “Apart from believing in the project, I am looking forward to working with an intercultural group and working towards a clearly defined goal. The exchange of culture and custom offers an opportunity I would gladly take.”

We like the fact that Stein has a firm grounding in visualizations and professes to ‘think in images’. Added to a conscientious and scientific background, we greatly value her addition to the team.

Juriaan has successfully attended Maastricht’s University College and is completing his master Policy, Communication and Organization at the VU University. Juriaan has ample experience in questions relating to global challenges, as he has taken courses on international relations, sustainability, international politics and development aid.

Juriaan was attracted to Project Kaapstad because it addresses the axiom that ‘good intentions’ lead to good outcomes: ” I noticed that through my study I became much more critical about political and volunteer initiatives: good intentions are simply not enough!” To quell his thirst for a more practical solution, he worked on the campaign of politician Bram van Oijk, who is much concerned with development aid, and currently follows a master class with Jan Pronk on the same subject.

With his experience with media and campaigning, his grounding in international issues and his connection to the practical field of policy makers, we welcome him to the team with enthusiasm.

Andrea is currently working as managing director of the cultural foundation “Moois (Beauts)”. With Andrea’s experience as a professional in the cultural sector, we’re sure to have drawn in a heavyweight. Her CV mentions experience in education, fundraising, event management, international collaboration and artistic direction. among others.

Andrea was drawn to Volunteer Correct by her solid conviction that global solidarity should result in all people having access to housing, drinking water and education. “I have been raised with the idea that, living in the rich West, we have the obligation to contribute.”

Andrea believes in the power of public awareness and looks forward to work together with young people in creating a clear and insightful view of Cape Town’s volunteer industry. We’re very much looking forward to her work.