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About
About Proud 2 Participate
Proud 2 Participate focuses on the integration of asylum seekers and status holders to make their start in Den Bosch as successful as possible by promoting their social and economic self-sufficiency. Through small-scale activities and projects, we provide newcomers with resources and opportunities to progress on the participation ladder. This way, they not only become part of society but each can contribute in their own way to our society.
Letteke Vernooij
My name is Letteke Vernooij.
I founded Proud 2 Participate after working with great pleasure for COA for more than two years. During that time, I met many wonderful and remarkable people, which only deepened my love for the target group of Proud 2 Participate (asylum seekers and status holders).
I concluded that there is a great need for tailored and small-scale projects so that asylum seekers and status holders can better integrate and to take steps on the participation ladder.
Because a Syrian surgeon who speaks perfect English needs different support than a single mother of three from Somalia, there is a need for customization and flexibility.
One thing most newcomers have in common is their eagerness to participate and to demonstrate the value they can add to our society in any way possible. We can learn a lot from their perseverance, motivation and focus. A significant part of our society is willing to embrace their contribution.
It is from this perspective that I founded Proud 2 Participate.
Mission
By mid-2024, Den Bosch is likely to host over 600 asylum seekers, many of whom will eventually become status holders. They all deserve a chance to integrate and progress on the participation ladder. Firstly, because it is in the best interest of the individuals themselves. Additionally, it is also in the interest of society as a whole. The labor market is strained and in need of motivated workers. The more people participate to the best of their ability in society, the smaller the chance they will encounter problems later on; this benefits us all.
Each asylum seeker or status holder has their own background, with unique abilities and skills, but often also with specific challenges that may hinder integration and participation to varying degrees. Nevertheless, most of them have a strong intrinsic motivation to independently contribute to our society as soon as possible. However, they need assistance to achieve this. For some, a simple push in the right direction is enough to make substantial progress on the participation ladder, while others may benefit from multiple nudges to make small but ultimately significant steps.
To address these needs, a small-scale approach is necessary, focusing on the individual and aimed at integration, self-worth, self-sufficiency, and thereby progression on the participation ladder.
The objective of the Proud 2 Participate foundation is to contribute to the realization of the aspirations of as many asylum seekers and status holders as possible, not only to be part of society but also to actively contribute to it, through small-scale projects and activities focused on integration, increasing self-worth, and self-sufficiency.
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