Meet William Bos
Honorary Chairman, Project Leader &
Co-founder of the Out of Area Foundation

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🕵‍♂ In everyday life I am...
"Proud owner of Out of Area B.V. Proud because, I believe, this is the first company to emerge from a foundation. Usually, it's the other way around, and companies that prioritize people's well-being alongside profitability find the time to start a foundation. Out of Area B.V. focuses on 'Team Development' and uses a 'disruptive method' to improve the 'Healthy "Side" of the organization. It's been proven that if you invest properly in your people/teams, a company generally performs better; a "Smart Side." The link with the foundation? Well, working with groups on a social goal creates a positive sense of connection within such a group. This isn't the goal of the projects, but rather the result. With the private limited company, we've reversed this. There, the positive feeling is the goal, and we use social challenges as a means. And that works perfectly.

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🌏 I work at Out of Area because...
"It's wonderful to be out and about with groups of people, mostly students. To achieve something together that improves the well-being of others. I also enjoy the group dynamics that take place during such a project and how you can witness personal developments in such a week. The foundation once started under the name 'Bosnian Child Foundation' with the motto: Let them laugh and everything will be fine! A lot has happened in the past 27 years. The foundation is now called Stichting Out of Area and its motto is: Experience the feeling of doing good. This name/motto change says a lot. The foundation has become more international and no longer focuses solely on children in need. But the biggest development is that the current motto better reflects the positive impact the projects have on both those in need and the participants; a clear win-win situation.

 

✈ A trip is successful for me when...
"Everyone feels richer after the project and knows that they really have an impact on the well-being of others."

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📸The photo below tells you...
"At one point, the foundation was very active in Zavod Pazaric, an institution for people with disabilities. We renovated pavilions there, built an independent housing project with a bungalow, organized many activities with the 500 residents, and I even flew there by helicopter once. But at some point, a director came to power who, to put it mildly, was a bit corrupt. The foundation then decided to stop providing support until a new director was appointed. That took about 10 years, but since 2020, there has been a new director who does care about her clients. And a promise is a promise, so we're back. The photo from 2-2020 shows the reunion with old acquaintances. What a wonderful feeling to be there for these wonderful people again."

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💭My fondest memory is...
"That was a really long time ago. The war in the Balkans had just ended and there was a great need for medicine and food in the institution for people with disabilities. I received reports, especially from Zavod Drin, that things were going badly and people were dying from the cold, hunger and lack of medicine. We then drove to Bosnia with a group of friends and a van full of these necessary supplies. I'm not going to say here what we had on board because I'd still end up behind bars. We drove via Split, which at that time was the POD There, the bus was converted and equipped with a red cross. Then my buddies were temporarily converted into soldiers and given a pass. This way, we had no problems at the strict border crossings and could drive straight to Zavod Drin. You can imagine how happy people were with all these little things. I think it's fantastic that the foundation is still committed to this institution after all these years. For me, Zavod Drin is THE example that if you drip long enough, even a glowing plate can cool completely.

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