People

I love people, facilitating and connecting. I am here, available, approachable. I can be involved in facilitation, team training, personal coaching, project- and team management. Do not hesitate to approach me if you feel we are a match!

Ubuntu; I am thanks to all of us. I’ve learned this in South Africa. My personal development path consciously started in the beautiful city of Cape Town, which I proudly called home for 4 years. Landmark Education opened the doors for me. It helped me explore who I am, visualize the mechanisms I had build around me that were counter-effective towards the aim to connect with people. Sharing my personal challenges, my shit, my pain, and also exploring my strengths was relieving and fun. Cape Town in 2006 was a very segregated city; Landmark was a venue in which people from different cultural, economic backgrounds shared together. While listening to the diverse voices, and sharing my own stories, I became more aware of who I am. Through the work with Umthombo Wesizwe (children and cultural diversity) and with COSAT (South African youngsters and Art and Leadership, see this page), I experienced the positive impact of personal development work; such a beautiful committed, engaged, connected, free and inspiring students growing by the week I worked with them in our Art and Leadership courses. I have found my passion in South Africa and left architecture to dedicate my time working with human beings and on human rights.

After living in South Africa for 4 years, I relocated back to The Netherlands. The main reason to go back was my hospitalized father, who passed away a month upon my return. My bi-polar father was my hero, and at the same time a challenging man to grow up with. It was hard to settle back into The Netherlands. Living in Scheveningen near the beach and dedicated surfing and triathlon sports helped to focus. Working for International Non-profits (first Plan International, now HIVOS) and taking a Masters Degree in Development and Human Rights helped to shape my time and capacity around my passions for human beings and human rights as well in The Netherlands. I have been privileged to travel to many places in the world for work over the past years, collaborated with international colleagues, students and am now in a beautiful position of facilitating and growing a diverse team of 35 people in over 20 countries within our project Digital Defenders Partnership.

Personal reflections is something I ongoing do; it helps me be a better mum, partner, colleague, manager, and trainer. It also makes me feel comfortable inside my own body, my life, comfortable with everything that comes up, and enjoy. It has been a beautiful ride over the past 15 years with Landmark, Theory U, Coach Center, Venwoude and Bambu. I am now looking forward to follow systemic courses at De Bewustzijnsfabriek . Enjoy your path! and again, reach out if you feel I can support you or projects you are involved in.