Youth development specialist/psychologist Rayann Ramdin (left) and Expertise Center Education Care Saba EC2 director Henriette “Jet” van Heijnsbergen during the online final day for the “Appeltjes van Oranje” on Thursday.
SABA--The Expertise Center Education Care Saba EC2 project Ways to Wellbeing is among the twelve finalists for the Oranjefonds “Appeltjes van Oranje” (“Orange Apples”) awards.
“We are so proud,” said EC2 Director Henriette “Jet” van Heijnsbergen.
The nominees presented their initiatives to each other and to the jury during the online final day on Thursday, January 28. EC2’s Ways to Wellbeing and 11 other initiatives were selected as finalists. Besides Saba, one other Dutch Caribbean island is in the finals: Equine Foundation of Curaçao. The other 10 initiatives are from the Netherlands. This year’s theme for the Appeltjes van Oranje is mental power.
EC2 director Van Heijnsbergen and youth development specialist/psychologist Rayann Ramdin explained the initiative in a PowerPoint presentation.
Ways to Wellbeing is a multi-faceted approach to nurture the mental wellness of vulnerable students facing challenges, by developing four key dimensions of wellness: intellectual, emotional, social and physical.
EC2 started Ways to Wellbeing to help vulnerable special-needs children cope with trauma after the big 2017 hurricanes, the current COVID-19 pandemic and challenges with isolation, stress within their family, bullying, unaddressed learning issues and family displacement. Special attention was given to well-being of Saba’s vulnerable children.
“Without well-being, there is no learning. Children need to feel safe and secure first before they can learn,” said Van Heijnsbergen.
The eight members of the EC2 team took part in multiple trainings and courses, mainly during the times of lockdown in the first half of last year. “We decided to make good use of that time to get additional schooling so we could even better assist our clients after the lockdown,” said Van Heijnsbergen. EC2 has been providing online support for both students and parents during the pandemic.
The EC2 team uses positive ways only, teaching students how to cope with stress, anxiety and bullying through visual art, music and psycho-motor exercises. “Mental well-being is a taboo for some, but we consider recognising that you need support a strength. There is no taboo at EC2,” said Van Heijnsbergen.
“There are 12 finalists, but everyone is a winner. All projects have done a fantastic job,” said Oranjefonds director Sandra Jetten. All 48 initiatives that took part in the online finals were surprised with a cheque for 1,500 euros.
In April, the Oranjefonds board will select three winners from among the 12 finalists. The winners will receive a small bronze sculpture created by Princess Beatrix and 15,000 euros during a ceremony in June, in the presence of Queen Máxima.
