When you arrive in a new country, or grow up in a neighbourhood where few doors open by themselves, sometimes what you need most is one thing: someone who says "I know how it feels, and it worked out". Role models are not heroes on a stage. They are neighbours, former status holders, parents and young people willing to share their story and their time.
What we do
- Build a network of role models with diverse backgrounds, ages and life paths
- Organise meetings between role models and people at the beginning of a journey
- Train and support role models so the exchange of experience stays safe and meaningful
- Cooperate with municipalities and the COA to involve role models at reception locations and in integration programmes
Who we work with
For newcomers and status holders looking for orientation. For young people in Rotterdam neighbourhoods who see few examples around them. And for the role models themselves: their story has value, and we help them put it to use.
Our approach
We work in consultation with the COA and with municipalities in the Rotterdam region. Our role models are not deployed as distant speakers, but as conversation partners — often in small groups, at a reception location, in a community centre, or in someone's home. We carefully ensure no one is overburdened and that the role models themselves are also heard and valued.
Examples
These are illustrative of the kind of encounters we facilitate:
- A Surinamese-Dutch entrepreneur in conversation with young people in Zuidwijk about work and self-direction
- A woman who arrived as a status holder fifteen years ago, now helping newcomers find their way in everyday Rotterdam life
- A young person who was the first in his family to enter higher education, talking at secondary schools about how that went
Get involved
Have you walked the path already? Your story can be the deciding factor for someone else. Sign up as a role model or volunteer or support this work.
“People become visible again the moment someone sees them — and keeps looking.”
