Success Stories

The participants of Gewoon D'ran have completed their program. Last Friday, they came together one last time for a pleasant closing gathering. This meeting had been postponed earlier due to the heat, but that did not make the reunion any less enjoyable.

Joudy had a clear ambition: to progress to a university program in the Netherlands. Together with her consultant Amza, she mapped out the route to that goal.

Amin has taken a great step towards sustainable employment. Over the past few months, he gained work experience at Benefiets in Winterswijk. There, he was given the opportunity to learn the trade of bicycle mechanic.

Loes shows what developing with pleasure can yield.

In early 2025, internship supervisor Astrid from VSO asked the Triviant whether Fijnder had an internship position for a spontaneous and eager-to-learn young lady. Loes found that position at Koen's workshop.

There she helped with packing, labeling, assembling, and other tasks in the department.

Perseverance, customization, and collaboration as the foundation. Glenn's story shows what that yields.

Over the past few weeks, 18 newcomers followed an intensive financial training course consisting of four half-day sessions. In this training, they learned how financial matters work in the Netherlands and how to gain more control over their own finances.

We always look at what is possible, even if something doesn't seem feasible yet.

We see this in Jeilani and Ali's trajectory. They start receiving extra guidance towards work while still undergoing their civic integration. This makes the step towards employment smaller.

Sometimes all it takes is one chance to make a difference. That's true for Anita. After years without work and a bad experience in the past, her confidence in the job market had largely vanished.

"I hope I'm an example to many. There are probably more people who have difficulty reading and writing. My advice is: just take the lessons at the Language House."

In June, consultant Hevda concluded Amal and Anyal's guidance after nine months in the Fijnder-Newcomers in Services project. They have achieved a great deal during this time.

Emad took big steps towards paid employment last year. He started at Fijnder at a work experience placement, but his goal was clear from the start: a paid job.

She's come a long way, but now she's full steam ahead. Maaike completed the Gewoon D'ran program and made great strides. Not only in her work, but especially in her personal development.