Meet Jeffrey van Houwelingen,

Project manager & communications officer

🕵‍♂𝐈𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐣𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐤...

I work in the social domain in the municipality of Utrecht, both urban and in the Overvecht neighborhood. Here, I support residents, organizations, the municipality, and other stakeholders in making Utrecht a more social city. Sometimes this involves organizing neighborhood parties, sometimes drinking countless cups of coffee, sometimes holding endless meetings, and everything in between.

🌏𝐈𝐤 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐤 𝐛𝐢𝐣 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐦𝐝𝐚𝐭…

I have the luxury of being able to share. This can be in the form of time, money, knowledge, and experience. Besides, it's always wonderful to be able to contribute to a more beautiful and just world. And of course, traveling remains the most beautiful thing there is. Hearing, feeling, and experiencing new stories creates richness. The people we connect with through Out of Area have that in abundance.

💭𝐌𝐢𝐣𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬…

It's incredibly difficult to put into words. Every trip is different, and every trip is beautiful for a different reason. I met my partner on one of the trips, so I definitely have to mention that. Otherwise, I'd have arguments at home. But the best memories are the moments you can't plan. The stories of locals, places that are important or beautiful to them. When residents trust us to share their own stories, that's what makes working with Out of Area so rewarding.

📸The following 𝐟𝐨𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧…

"My work at Out of Area is truly for the children! This photo shows that, despite not speaking each other's language, we can still connect with all kinds of people around the world. Even if we, as a foundation, only make a difference in the life of one child, all the work we do is worth it!"

✈𝐄𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐣 𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐚𝐠𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐬…

Besides everyone returning safely, students (and teachers) have also grown in their social awareness. Their eyes have been opened to problems in the world, and they are proud of themselves and can identify where they have grown. Of course, it's also gratifying that a tremendous amount of work has been accomplished at the project site.