Meet Laura van Eck,

Assistant project manager

 

🕵‍♂In daily life I am....

I'm in my final year of teacher training college (PABO). This year, I teach third grade two days a week. I also coach hockey and work at the hairdresser's.

 

🌏 I work for Out of Area because...

"I find it incredibly beautiful and rewarding work. Every trip is different, but always incredibly special. Through these trips, you get to know yourself better, but also others. I also find it very important and wonderful that we can make a difference for the people there."

 

✈𝐄𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐣 𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐚𝐠𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐬…

All participants go home with a smile on their faces. They look back on this trip, where they've gotten to know themselves better and others better. Moreover, for me, a trip truly succeeds when I see the reactions of the children and the project staff. At the end of the project, I've always attended a farewell ceremony at the school, partly organized by the school and partly by the participants themselves. During these farewells, the children and staff are always so grateful. It brings tears to your eyes. Then, when you see the participants' farewell, with dancing, face painting, and playing with the children, it brings a big smile to your face again. That's fantastic!

 

📸 The photo below tells you...

"That volunteering in Bosnia is hard work, but you get so much good in return. You have a smile on your face all day! Even if you're all thumbs, you can come along on this trip and do incredibly wonderful work."

 

💭My fondest memory is...

A project that was a bit of a struggle towards the end. We started with sanding, filling, and painting. While we were working on the decorations, we wanted to install laminate flooring with skirting boards. We still had a day and a half left, so we had to make it work! Installing the laminate wasn't easy in two of the four classrooms. Ultimately, it was mostly successful, and we still had to install the skirting boards. We then met as a group and discussed what we were going to do next, as time was of the essence! Ultimately, we decided to form a "skirting board team." Within two hours, the skirting boards were installed. Thanks to the teamwork of the entire group, we finally succeeded. Everyone helped each other, even when things weren't going well, which was so wonderful to see! By working together, you achieve more.