DutchbuzZ Podcasts

Anthony Heinsbroek is coordinator of the Hand-in-Hand project, an initiative of the International Roman Catholic Church of Our Saviour in The Hague. The goal of the project is to make people who have fled their countries feel welcome in The Hague by inviting them to take part in cultural and social events where they can meet and befriend other residents of the city. Anthony is recently retired from a four decade long career teaching children with special needs. But, as he explains to Ayesha de Sousa, there are many ways to make positive contributions to society.

The Hague International Centre has its hands full helping to answer the many queries the international community has when dealing with COVID-19, in terms of the Dutch lockdown, travel restrictions and many other related issues. A good time for DutchbuzZ contributor Elena Gkiola to speak to its Advisor, Gerko Visée.

How has the Covid-19 pandemic specifically affected internationals living in The Hague? A new report commissioned by the municipality's International Centre and produced by ICAP (the International Community Advisory Panel) reveals the impact on mental health, jobs and income and future plans of internationals. Deborah Valentine, member of ICAP, explains the findings to DutchbuzZ.

Connecting people is his speciality, especially if you are new in The Hague or from a different cultural background. As the founder of the Guest Card, The Hague International Network, Director of the Global Talent Pool Foundation, and on the board of the pop podium, Paard, Andrew van Esch has been working for the international community in this city for more than 30 years. A regular guest on DutchbuzZ, I asked him how it all started…

The Hungry Mind and now Villa Ockenburgh, both pearls created and restored by the enterprising Petra Brekelmans. One is a meeting place for the international community in The Hague, the other, a 17th century villa. DutchbuzZ spoke to Petra about how her time as an expat herself motivated her to create these local hubs for both locals and internationals. She spoke to Lily-Anne Stroobach.

In this interview Billy Allwood, founder of the TheHagueOnline website and the Feel At Home in The Hague fair, tells DutchbuzZ how he turned his personal need for knowledge of local news and events into a thriving information business aimed at internationals. Billy went from a PhD in x-ray chrystallography to becoming a networking, organising, publishing, marketing guru in his adopted city. He shares what it means to be happy and what to do if you are not. Listen all the way to the end for a hot off the press announcement and request from Billy!

The Netherlands has one of the highest numbers of volunteers in the world and The Hague is particularly rich when it comes to residents rendering their services free of charge. Set up to enable internationals in The Hague to share their time and skills, Volunteer The Hague has found hundreds of jobs for people at charities, NGOs, hospitals and care centres for the aged. Someone who has played a pivotal role in helping the international community in The Hague find rewarding volunteer work, is this week’s DutchbuzZ Pearl, Tetyana Benzeroual, Project Manager at Volunteer The Hague..

Saving the local museum in Scheveningen, championing disabled sportsmen and women, writing a book on darts legend, Raymond van Barneveld - they all form part of Hans Willink's love for The Hague and Scheveningen; a passion which he shares with Dutchbuzz Editor, Lily-Anne Stroobach, who selected Hans as one of its Pearls. Discover why Hans deserves this accolade by listening this podcast...

Since 2011, Deborah Valentine has been Executive Director of Access, the volunteer-managed organisation that provides help and advice to internationals in The Hague. In this interview she tells DutchbuzZ how she has helped professionalise the organisation during her tenure, how she stayed focused on looking after the volunteer staff during the turbulent year of 2020 and what her priorities are for the future. In the second part of the interview, Deborah shares her thoughts on women’s rights, feeling at home, learning Dutch and enjoying a nice glass of wine.

Cathy has been enriching The Hague’s international community for twenty years with her energy and drive to bring warmth where it is most needed. Her charity, Wool for Warmth builds communities of volunteers who knit scarves, hats and warm clothes for The Hague’s homeless people. Cathy’s passion for social inclusion stems partly from her own painful past and her own experience of rejection as an international, as she told DutchbuzZ's Ayesha de Sousa in this candid and poignant interview.