Influencer Voedselbank Cura?ao

In this interview Sharlien Mauricia and Egbert Vos talks about the foundation and the activities.

“You can’t notice poverty from the outside appearance of people”

Discover the foundation’s journey?and challenges.

Can you expand on why the ‘Voedselbank’ started? Egbert: The foundation’s origin was Fundashon Yuda Nos Grandinan, which was founded in 1977. In 1997, it changed its name and scope to Yudanos Grandinan i famianan. The foundation continued working over the years, helping some elderly and families with Food Packages on a smaller scale.

I got involved personally in 2000, and we decided to broaden its activities and launch the project ‘Voedselbank .’

Since 2006, the brand has been official and registered at the Bureau of Intellectual Property. It has grown and has become a household name nowadays. We still offer food packages and fruits at different locations and schools, but I am not on the board anymore.

Sharlien: I have been involved in this work since I was young via the Reformatory Church in Cura?ao those days. Via Egbert, I got involved in distributing food packages and became a board member in 2006. These days, we don’t have a lot of direct contact with the people who get a food package, as we work with different organizations that mediate into helping people in need of this. As a social worker, I am very much aware of the people in need. I know where they live, and I have these contacts through my work.

Over the years, from 2006 onwards, there has been a growth in the food packages we distribute. Before 2010, we were subsidized by AMFO. We could offer 400 packages per month. But that stopped in 2010. During the Coronavirus pandemic, we received a lot of money from sources from Holland and local companies. We could offer 1000 food packages, and during 2020- 2021, we provided 5000 packages per month. This subsidy stopped after the coronavirus pandemic, and now we offer 300 – 350 packages per month. We can’t give what we don’t have, right, as we lack the financial means to provide more.

The need is still there, but there is a lot of hidden poverty. You can’t notice poverty from the outside appearance of people; we live in Cura?ao; that is who we are. During the Corona pandemic, we had people of Dominican and Jamaican descent coming for their food packages, but we didn’t have many local people coming because of shame and pride.

Egbert: I have learned that Cura?ao has a sizeable gray sector.

But how did they survive? Egbert: By hustling and with help from their families and friends, they would make “pastetji,” tickets for BBQs and other types of food that they would sell, garden work, washing cars, selling sweets, etc.

Sharlien: In the past, as a child at the church, we could be helped, but we were not allowed to tell other people that we were hungry or that we needed clothes. That is how I was raised, so it is a cultural thing.?This mindset, I consider one of the remnants of slavery, is something that we inherited from the past. This attitude doesn’t mean, by the way, that there isn’t a need for food packages. The upside is that after the Coronavirus pandemic, many people got their employment and thus income back. Those who were not poor stayed poor and even became poorer. When I was a child, we used to be visited by a social worker. That was great, as it was a sign that people were taken care of. We would welcome a more centralized approach. Now, this social infrastructure and network are splintered, and there is no organization that encompasses all other initiatives in this area, which we deeply regret. We have tried to collaborate, but to no avail, up to now.

Who are the other members of the Voedselbank board, and how is it structured? How many volunteers do you work with? We now have four board members and work with many volunteers. Those volunteers are involved in all sorts of work we are engaged in as the ‘Voedselbank’. There are 20 to 25 people helping to make food packages, and this group of people varies. We have a list of people who can subscribe to participate, but all of the potential volunteers who can come and help are available each month. We buy the food, and on an incidental basis, we receive donations from the supermarkets. The packages are packed, delivered, and distributed each month. We also worked with volunteers via the VKC. The VKC comes with big trucks, and they pick up the packages that are dropped off at different distribution centers where we have contact persons. These centers can be churches or neighborhood centers. Our contact person in the neighborhood has a whole network on themselves. We have about 25 organizations that are involved in this work on Saturdays. However, the exact number can vary between 8 and 20 organizations.

And what is the BIG WHY or driving motivation of both of you? Sharlien: I have always had this in me, this character trait. In primary school, I thought everybody needed to be happy. Everybody needed to be involved. If someone, a girl, was not involved and left behind, I would approach her to see how we could fix this. It was my task to let everybody feel good. That is why I became a social worker. When I grew up, my parents weren’t wealthy. That was within my family and the situation on the whole island. Today, I am someone who you can count on. If you need help, I will help you one way or the other. When I was young, someone visited our family periodically as a social worker, and she inspired me to become a social worker. I thought if I have this innate tendency to help fellow students in school, why not become a social worker by profession?

Egbert: My Big Why? In my life, I developed a powerful sense of justice for the weaker ones in our society. I was raised in a family where the Bible and Jesus Christ’s life were a significant source of inspiration for us. I was convinced that I needed to do something about the sense of Justice, and that’s why I was involved with these subject matters.

What are your plans for the coming years for the coming five years from now?? There is always ambition, but we are all volunteers and need more time to give to de Voedselbank. And food packages should be a temporary help. But you want to help people. Fewer food packages should be possible as there should not be so much need for this type of help.? The reason we don’t supply more packages is a mere financial one. We don’t have sufficient funds to offer more. I wish we would have more income to reach more people. During the Corona pandemic, we had so many products that we even wanted to open a shop where people could shop for free. But then you need a full-time.

On the other hand, we want to enable people to become more self-sufficient. We should offer them budgeting courses so that they don’t become dependent on food packages. The food packages are sufficient for two weeks. The rest of the month, they have nothing. You want to do more, but the question is how?

Egbert: Our biggest challenge is the finances. We are trying to get more money in the coming years by raising the involvement of the Dutch Kingdom because of the differences within the Dutch Kingdom. We are starting a new foundation in Holland, “De Stichting Hulp aan Cura?ao ,” that focuses primarily on those of our people living in Holland to bring to their attention projects that are running in Cura?ao, as there are so many people in Holland that are willing to give a hand and help.

I want to put my energy into encouraging transparency in projects aimed at positive goals on the island. We had to take a giant leap forward and make it evident that we promote and need to be accountable for all the funds we receive. We need to professionalize the execution of these projects on the island, especially regarding finances. That is what I want to focus on.

What challenges are you dealing with? And how are you dealing with these different challenges you confront? There isn’t enough time and more time, time, time. I expect I will have more time available when I have my pension. At this moment, I have a busy job that requires a lot from me, and it puts pressure on finding the right balance between my work, my family, the church, and my volunteers’ work.

Do you use your inner voice to evaluate when dilemmas show up? How does that work for you? Sharlien: I could improve at listening to my inner voice. I am always available for others. I tend to prioritize the world’s needs over my self. I have always been like that. I like reading and traveling but don’t have enough downtime to work on these hobbies. I am lucky to have a very caring husband, that looks after me when I come home from school, that I take a break first. He is a very balanced person who is very in control. He is teaching me to rest first after I come home from work at school. I am changing and hope to have enough downtime to travel and read. I have learned that I can say “NO” when a dilemma arises. That is a change.

Egbert: When I have dilemmas, I let my gut guide me. Praying gives me peace of mind and guidance, and talking to my wife and some other people I trust helps me make choices based on the best of my abilities.

How are you trying also to keep up with your knowledge and skill levels? Via our networks, people we know from the past and nowadays. The internet makes it easy to learn new methods or things that can be done or that need to be changed.

What are your strengths? Sharlien: Look how long we have existed; it proves we have continuity. We do this work for the community at large, and we work as a team. Sheryl and I have gotten to know each other over time. And we do this without any personal financial interest. All the money we collect, we put into the food packages. The guideline we use on the foundation board is that we spend a maximum of 5 % on whatever costs we have. This 5 %? is a guideline that we have followed over the years. It increases our credibility and trustworthiness.

If you, Egbert/Sharlien, met a stranger on the bus (let’s say in New York or Medellin, Colombia) and they asked you to introduce yourself, what would you answer?? Sharlien: I am from Cura?ao and a very active member of Voedselbank. I love helping people and am very religious. Egbert: I am a financial controller and volunteer in several positions. Voedselbank is one of these positions I hold and spend time in. I also like to help other people because of my Calvinistic upbringing. I am always out to do good for different people. I often ask myself what Jesus Christ would do in this situation, and I try to emulate him and do what is the right thing to do.

Who are the persons that have inspired you the most in your career? Sharlien: A social worker who visited us as a child; the Bible reminds me to do what Jesus Christ requires us to do. To love thy neighbor as if it was yourself. Egbert had approached me to become a board member as I regretfully and with pain in my heart, had to accept that he was stepping down from the board.

My husband also encourages me, and that is very kind of him. When I forgot some essential maps for a meeting, he brought them to where we were having a meeting. That is very kind of him. My friends also benefit me in this venture.?

Egbert: Jezus has always inspired me with his work and his deeds. I also looked up to an uncle who, as a legal specialist and lawyer, used to defend disabled people free of charge in court, as they didn’t know the procedures nor had the necessary funds to pay for his fee, to mention an example. That has always inspired me. Some need a little bit of help to have access to their rights.

What is a trait that is still a work in progress? Sharlien: I have a problem because we offer canned food, which is usually not the most nutritious. Fresh vegetables would definitely be a better choice, so in the future, we hope to improve the quality of the food we offer. But most of the people we help don’t have a refrigerator, so that remains a challenge.

Egbert: The level of education people have on how to deal with their budgets. I was involved in the past with NIBUD in Holland, as they offer budget courses to people. There are some good initiatives on the island, like via Arthur Nivillac of Optima. They offer budget courses, but more support is needed to free up funds and time to solve this lack of knowledge with people who can share their knowledge on this.

What was a defining moment in your life? Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, we got to know a lot of people, and our reputation and brand name spiked. That is also why, in 2006, we registered the brand name ‘Voedselbank Cura?ao’ and protected it.

What would you want your Loved Ones, family, friends, and others to say about you, let’s say, 20 years from now? Sharlien: Sharlien is “De voedselbank”. When you hear her name you think of “De voedselbank”. There is almost nothing you can think about that I am not involved in. I am always willing to help, and I am not good at saying “no.” I have a strong personality, and I am not easy on myself. I know where I stand and go for what I stand for.

Egbert: They will say that I am loyal and I have integrity, and I hope that they will say that I did what was right.

What makes you stay optimistic about the future of Cura?ao? Sharlene: I am amazed at how people still keep their heads above the water, irrespective of their dire circumstances. This is because of a firm belief that things will ultimately turn out better. Not all of them, by the way. Some migrated to Holland as they didn’t have any faith that things would turn out better. I always want to help my own people, and I keep believing that things will turn out better.

Is there anything else that you would like to add? Sharlien: I liked the interview, as the questions made me stop and reflect on myself.

Egbert: I loved the Share2Uplift website, considering the time and energy it has taken to help bring positive initiatives aimed at positive changes on the island to the forefront.

More info or connect: Website: www.voedselbankcuracao.org Donations can be made via : https://hulp-aan-curacao.org/or bank transfer: Yudansa pa Kòrsou | MCB –account: 396-829-04.

Influencers of Cura?ao

Egbert Vos and Sharlien Mauricia come across as deeply committed individuals driven by a strong sense of social justice and a genuine desire to help those in need in Cura?ao. Their backgrounds and motivations are compelling: Egbert’s strong moral foundation rooted in his upbringing and Christian values, and Sharlien’s passion for inclusion and community support, highlight their dedication to addressing food insecurity.

Their reflections on the challenges faced by the Voedselbank—particularly regarding hidden poverty, the cultural stigma around seeking help, and the ongoing need for financial support—demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the social dynamics in their community. They are realistic about their limitations, yet they also express a strong desire for innovation, such as offering budgeting courses to promote self-sufficiency among beneficiaries and tapping into funds elsewhere in the whole Dutch Kingdom by starting a new foundation in the Netherlands, to help finance their efforts.

The Voedselbank’s structure, with its reliance on volunteers and partnerships with local organizations, illustrates a collaborative spirit. Its commitment to maintaining low overhead costs while maximizing impact speaks to its integrity and transparency, essential qualities for nonprofit work.

Overall, both Egbert and Sharlien embody resilience and hope, reflecting a belief in the possibility of positive change even amidst challenges. Their stories are inspiring, showing how individuals can create meaningful impact in their communities. For all these reasons and their efforts, we consider Sharline and Egbert as one of the 250 Influencers, representing the Social sector.?Look at the list of the Influencers we have interviewed or reported on, up to now.