The Netherlands has more than 150,000 residents with roots in Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba. Thousands of these residents are successful in their own way. During 2018, the Foundation Ocan, originating from the Consultative Body for Dutch Caribbean persons, will put one of these persons in the spotlight every week. Ocan Board Member Jessica Molina, who is of Bonaire descent, explains how her idea came to be.
“You often hear in The Netherlands that there are too few role models of non-Western background. We are not visible enough, while there are sufficient non-Western Dutch residents, including Caribbean people, who are successful. Let’s inspire and motivate each other by sharing their authentic stories,” said Molina.
For a while now, Ocan has been organising activities for Dutch Caribbean persons in The Netherlands which put people in the spotlight: the presentation of the Dutch Caribbean Pearl Awards and the event Let Us Shine, which allows experienced and starting entrepreneurs to get in contact.
“But our ambitions and social themes are broader. For example, we focus on the combating of poverty, the developing of talent and we address discrimination, but also the elderly and loneliness. Ocan focuses on various target groups, such as the elderly, students, (teenage) mothers and professionals. There are success stories to be told. What do you do when things are not going well? The personal story can serve as an inspiration to others. We have invited people through our social media network to share these stories. It is beautiful to see that everyone knows someone with a success story,” said Molina.
Inspiration
“Success isn’t necessarily a management position in a company, having a lot of money or a big house. You can be successful by doing your own thing: a grandmother who bakes Caribbean cakes in The Netherlands and sells them from her home; a man who volunteers his time to help and care for other people. The role models share their story about the relation that they have with the former Netherlands Antilles, tell about the goals and ambitions they have, how they achieved these, which obstacles they found along the way, and what advice they offer others. We already spoke with a lady from St. Maarten who lost her job and started her own business making Caribbean Soul Food. She can inspire others who list their job. That is what these articles are meant for: inspiration and ideas,” said Molina.
Connection
Ocan wants to contribute to connecting people from the islands here and there. The articles will appear every Saturday in the Amigoe, Extra and The Daily Herald newspapers, and also through Ocan’s social media channels. “We want to let the people on the islands know how our people are doing in The Netherlands, both people who have migrated here, but also those who were born in The Netherlands. They are creating a place for themselves, but they are also very much involved with their family back home, often in a broad sense. That became clear after Hurricane Irma. People contacted us with the question how they could help. Through our collection drive, we were able to make a few donations and a school in St. Maarten was able to buy new materials. But there are more nice initiatives. The Caribbean culture is also being cherished in The Netherlands and we notice that from the many activities that our people are organising here.”
Tips
“For me, success is a broad and personal matter,” said Molina, who, as a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), does company transformations. “What always helps me is to set a goal and to keep focussed on that. Think what it is that you need and make a plan. It is possible that it will take longer to reach your goal than you originally had anticipated, but with perseverance and a positive mindset, you will get there. It is also helpful to show an interest in the manner in which others achieved something and how to assist others. I cherish learning moments, give them a personal touch and share my experience with others. Finally, authenticity is very important. You are responsible for your own actions and choices in life. It is better to be sorry that you didn’t manage to achieve what you set out to do, than to never have tried. Be open to inspire each other, to learn from each other and to share! That is Ocan’s warm wish for everyone in this new year,” said Molina.
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