Marije Eits
President
My name is Marije Eits and “I dreamed of Africa” began at age 13. It ended up taking another 10 years before I actually set foot on Kenyan soil. The land, the people, the smell, the nature, everything embraced me from the first moment.
For years this experience simmered on the surface and I went back to feel it again, I felt it and it got stronger! I wanted to do something for this country but how and when I didn’t know yet. Only after years of living abroad and because I met Linda did the plans take shape. All these years I thought I could start a project on my own, but when I shared my inspiration with Linda we both became excited to do this together.
I am still grateful and happy that we started to pull this cart together, nothing is better to do this together, it gives so much strength and positive energy and we are really a close team. Together we want to make a difference and contribute to society! It touches me every day that so many children have already received a better life with love and stability from the shelter at our rescue center. This life task makes me an even happier person.
Linda Kragtwijk
Secretary
My name is Linda Kragtwijk and from a young age I was very concerned with the plight of children in developing countries. In elementary school, I held my talk about the slums in Brazil where my classmates discussed their guinea pigs. The teachers were convinced, you will become a development worker when you grow up.
Having already seen some of the world, it wasn’t until I was 28 that I had the courage to quit my job and go abroad for an extended period of time to volunteer at a school for the poorest children. During this unforgettable experience, I was able to engage for the first time with the group of children I had been talking about in elementary school. From that moment I knew for sure that I wanted to set something up myself.
When Marije shared her ideas with me I immediately became excited. We have the same ideals and vision and are completely on the same page. Because of this, the cooperation also went very naturally and we are a close-knit team. It gives me so much satisfaction to be able to really make a difference in the lives of the children we care for. They went through so much, it touches me every time. My motivation is that they don’t have to do it alone, together we are strong. With the team of people we have around us in the Netherlands but also in Kenya, we manage to contribute something every day. In this way, together we make the world a little more beautiful.
