On February 25, our secretary Nico Schoenmakers and volunteer Joke Huisintveld met the Dutch ambassador in Myanmar. The Netherlands has had an embassy in the former capital Yangon for 3.5 years. During a three-hour meeting with ambassador Wouter Jurgens, many different subjects were discussed.
Eight people now work at the embassy. They are mainly involved in water management and agricultural projects. In principle, the ambassador still has six months to go in Myanmar, but is considering signing up for another year, because he can then experience the new elections in November 2020 up close.
The trio discussed the political situation at length. Of course, the conflict in Rakhine province was also discussed. Wouter Jurgens was able to nuance many things and that was very interesting and instructive.
Nico and Joke then told about the history of the Care for Children foundation and the projects in Minethouk. The ambassador had prepared well and asked interested questions. He will recommend our foundation to two Dutch companies that are currently active in the vicinity of the city of Mandalay. Perhaps this will lead to a nice collaboration.
The ambassador was very charmed by the Bridging program at the PDO High School in Mandalay. Teaching English and meta-skills to young people creates a stream of qualified young adults, which these companies may also benefit from in the future. There was also a brief discussion about living and working in Myanmar. It was an interesting and instructive day.
