lizan nijkrake

This story features Houda Loukili, Dutch youth champion kick boxing. She made her way to the top as a girl — with a Moroccan background — in a men’s world. Now she teaches self-defense and other sports (e.g. bootcamp) to girls and women outside of the boxing ring. “I want to do what my coach did for me.”

This story features Debby van der Horst, who actively mobilizes diverse girl soccer teams in Tilburg, the Netherlands. She noticed the spots activities of her municipality, Tilburg, almost solely reached boys. Ever since she focuses on girls — who flourish in safe enclaves. “Otherwise I’ll lose them.” Available in English upon request.

How the popular Amsterdam-grown streetwear brand Daily Paper collaborates with the Elman Peace Center in Mogadishu. The Peace Center has helped rehabilitate about 5,000 kids from the civil war — mainly recruited by Al-Shabaab.

Six inspiring “job champions” in the Global South: Asia, Africa and South America. They’re pioneers with vigor and resilience — who’ve created dignified jobs for their communities, something very many. They show they can lead the change in their countries. Available digitally in Dutch and English upon request.

Technical and Vocational Training and Education (TVET) is hip and happening in Kenya; it has to close the labour market gap and provide jobs for millions of (jobless) youth. The Ujima Foundation trains the most marginalized Kenyans in hospitality and social skills — with very promising results. “All you have to do, is ask for a chance.” From my reporting in Kenya, May-June 2019.

Soaring youth unemployment has forced Kenya to reform its education system. Now, it’s focused on providing technical training. Will it work?

This story features Hajer Sharief, Libyan activist who co-founded ‘Together We Build It’, an NGO that works on women’s and girls’ participation in Libya’s peace process. Her main tip to Dutch Minister Kaag for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation: oblige northern organizations and NGOs to work together with Southern partners.

The UN’s Green Climate Fund helps finance climate projects in poor countries. Most of its money goes to large international players. Is that right?

Move was sparked by first-person testimony of 63 migrants released in December

The former Dutch colony in the Carribean is a member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. But when it comes to refugees, there’s little help from The Hague.

More than 20,000 airport repatriations were scrubbed this year as rejected asylum-seekers vanished before departure.

A lawsuit in the Netherlands shows ‘people power’ has the ability to change climate policy for the better.