At Sparks, we believe in the strength of community. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the incredible people we’ve been collaborating with.
Renata
Boston
Renata is the Director of Re-Boost Foundation and CEO of Re OpoMi BoosterGiver; coach, trainer, and speaker.
Alfred
Mensah
Alfred Mensah is a project coordinator at Recogin, an organization focused on supporting the Ghanaian community. Recogin offers various social services, including educational programs on finance, health, and poverty, as well as sports initiatives, with about 5 or 6 projects annually. They act as a link between the local municipality and the community and have a radio station. They also regularly visit elderly residents to check on their well-being. As a bridge between the Ghanaian embassy and the Netherlands, Recogin participates in initiatives with the Red Cross and supports local entrepreneurs by reporting their challenges to the municipality.
Angelique
Hoogmoed
Angelique is the mother of two wonderful twins and works as a community manager at OBA Next. She describes it as a fantastic adventure to work with so many parties, especially the community, on the library of the future in the Bijlmer! They want to connect with what is already happening in the neighborhood and support local residents if they have a good idea.
Bangsa
Jawa
Bangsa Jawa is a welfare organization primarily focused on, but not limited to, the Javanese community. Everyone is welcome, and the organization has been active for 40 years. They offer a day program for the elderly, organize various activities for seniors, run a radio program to inform the community, and have a “form-filling brigade” to help people with document completion. Additionally, they organize many other activities.
Adom
TV
Adom TV provides information to the community, including the Ghanaian community and other English speakers. They produce television programs featuring interviews, discussion panels, and coverage of relevant events. Since 2003, they have been broadcasting weekly programs on Salto.
LV
Housing
Leandro Verweij, a 31-year-old entrepreneur and realtor, leads LV Housing, a real estate agency that has been active for 8 years. The company offers all real estate services, including buying, selling, renting, and management. They have experience with self-build projects and employ three staff members. In Nieuw Egeldonk, they are managing a self-build apartment project with 20 units, aimed at people with ties to Zuidoost, including two commercial/social spaces for tutoring children, discussion groups for young professionals, and day programs for the elderly. They have also contributed to the Toekomstwinkel by sharing knowledge and hosting workshops to help people enter the real estate sector.
Elvis
Ruth-Penuel
Elvis, active daily in Zuidoost, is a versatile media creator involved in audio production, film production, directing, and working both in front of and behind the camera. His goal is to give the residents of Zuidoost a larger platform in the rest of the Netherlands through journalism and storytelling. He loves telling stories about people and believes that when people know the story behind someone, they often see that there are more similarities than they initially thought. He works from the Bijlmerpark Theater with his studio, in collaboration with Jeltje van Nuland, on Jonge Reporters, where they train young media creators.
