I was born in Nijmegen in 1963 in a large Catholic family with three sisters and two brothers. My father worked at Philips and was deployed to a different branch every few years; so I have moved a lot in my life. The family also lived in different places in Belgium for a number of years.

My father in particular was a socially involved person who helped many people but always remained modest and in the background. He passed away some time ago, but he was an ‘example’; and when we as children ‘whined’ he always made it clear that we had to think of those poor children in Africa (Biafra at that time). This, together with my high sensitivity, got into my system and it was a logical step for me to also help people. I have worked in social work for 20 years, many of which in refugee work.

But in recent years I got stuck in the bureaucratic system and the amount of computer work, which meant I hardly got around to working with people face to face. I had not chosen this and after another reorganization and a divorce in my personal life, I decided in 2007 to build a new life in Egypt, Luxor. I felt lost at that time and hoped to find myself there again. Egypt felt and feels like coming home to me, back to the source, the basics.

After a few ‘wandering years’ I was able to start working for a French charity project and I continue to do so to this day. I am involved in children’s education, literacy classes for women and helping poor families. The work is very practically oriented, exactly what I wanted after all the bureaucratic hassle in the Netherlands.

When I met Eid in Luxor, and later the Imam, the feeling arose to start my own project together with the experiences gained in development work here. The basis of our collaboration is the trust we have towards each other and we also feel like-minded when it comes to faith and spirituality.

Social involvement and community spirit are very high in Egypt and that really appeals to me. I also have great respect for people in poverty situations who accept their fate and have built up great dignity in this regard. There is a lot of need here when it comes to the basic necessities of life and that is why we initially focus on the monthly food bags within the project. We also offer incidental extra help and we are working on some structural projects (school, health center) which you can read about elsewhere on the site.

I am very happy and grateful that we were able to make my dream come true with the help of all the kind sponsors! Simply helping people in a practical sense – adults, children, the homeless, the sick – and feeling connected to them (spiritually) fulfills me. After so many years, I have ‘found myself’ again and I can do what my heart desires here… in a country where I feel at home.

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