Keeping kids En Classe
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World ofHeineken 37 Winter 2007/2008
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with a radio system which we call a 'phonie' and
a GPS tracking system." Van den Brink cites an
example from March 2007 when unexpected
fighting started in the city centre. "The fighting
was quite serious and the second day it was even
concentrated in the area around the brewery. The
GPS system allowed us to identify those trucks that
were in the danger zone, so we could radio the
drivers to return to the brewery. I am pleased to
say that all drivers were safely back at the brewery
before the fighting reached the area," van den Brink
concludes.
All in all, as you can see the challenges we face on a
daily level to provide our customers with their glass
of beer is vast. However, this in itself makes the job
even more rewarding and really only possible due
to the team work we have.
Nowhere is the immediate need for
proper basic education more critical
than in sub-Saharan Africa. In the DRC in
particular, decades of poverty, political j A -
instability and civil war have left their
mark. The positive impact of En Classe - a
Foundation started by the mostly Dutch wives
ofHeineken ex-pat staff in the DRC - can already
be felt in the Kinshasa area as they implement
their credo: "The circle of poverty can only be
broken by education."
All of the foundation's materials and labour are sourced
by locals, so secondary benefits flow on to the community
as a whole. The foundation is self financed, with family,
friends and colleagues donating money to the group's
activities. En Classe also liaises with non-government
organisations and other charitable groups to allocate
resources to a range of positive initiatives.
"By pulling our strengths together, we can achieve more
than one person can, and we can pool our resources
and expertise to do something really positive in a nation
which needs our help."
For further information, visit the En Classe website
(www.enclasse.org). To make a donation, transfers can
be made to En Classe's bank account number
45.20.66.387 held at ABN AMRO, Amsterdam.
The En Classe foundation (translated "in class"), was
founded to establish long-lasting improvements in
the primary school facilities of the DRC's capital city,
Kinshasa. There are roughly two million children living
in Kinshasa, only half of whom go to school. Of these
children, only 25% actually finish primary school.
"By improving the circumstances at the primary schools,
every child's development can be stimulated positively at
a young age, which will lead to a better future for these
children," says foundation chairwoman Sylvia van den
Brink. "We have already finished the renovation of our
first school, which involved painting, fixing the leaking
roof and donating school desks, as the children were
sitting on the sandy floor. We also donated educational
material, which was completely lacking. Most important,
we ensure every child has some bread each day for them
to start the school day with a full stomach. We have just
started with our second and third schools and hopefully
we will find enough donors to continue our activities so
we can help thousands of children."
