Governor Francis, together with Island Governors John Soliano of Bonaire and Jocelyn Levenstone of Saba, visited the Nationaal Programma Rotterdam Zuid (NPRZ) as part of their periodic consultations in the European Netherlands.
The visit provided the Governors with an opportunity to learn more about the NPRZ’s long-term and integrated approach to addressing social and economic challenges in Rotterdam-South. The programme brings together government, education, employers, housing organisations, care institutions and other partners to improve opportunities for residents and strengthen the area over the long term.
Discussions focused on the way cooperation is organised across areas including education, employment, housing, quality of life and socio-economic development, and what is required to sustain such partnerships over an extended period.
While the BES islands and Rotterdam-South differ considerably in scale and circumstances, the exchange highlighted similarities in some of the challenges affecting residents’ ability to participate fully and progress within society. These include poverty, debt and the concentration of social and economic challenges within particular communities.
For the Governors, the visit provided an opportunity to examine how different organisations can work collectively rather than addressing interconnected challenges separately, and to consider lessons that may be relevant within the context of the Caribbean Netherlands.
As part of the programme, George Leuver, Director of the Agnesschool in Feijenoord, shared practical experiences with the NPRZ’s Day Programme and school support teams. The presentation demonstrated how education and wider support services can be brought closer together to provide children and families with more coordinated assistance.
The Governors were accompanied during the visit by Barbera Wolfsenberger, Director-General for Kingdom Relations, and René Bagchus, Director of Kingdom Relations, from the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK).
Following the NPRZ visit, the Governors travelled to Rotterdam City Hall, where they were received by Mayor Carola Schouten. Schouten is Mayor of Rotterdam and serves as independent Chair of the NPRZ Board.
During the meeting, the Governors exchanged views with Mayor Schouten on issues affecting their respective island communities, including opportunities for education, infrastructure, economic development and social security.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for Governor Francis and her counterparts to share the particular realities of governing small island communities and their ambitions for creating stronger opportunities and a more secure foundation for residents.
Governor Francis said the Rotterdam visit demonstrated the value of looking beyond individual programmes and considering how organisations can work together around the needs of communities.
“What I found particularly valuable was seeing how different organisations work together over the long term to address challenges within their communities. In Statia, we may operate on a much smaller scale, but many of the issues we face are connected in the same way. There is always value in learning from the experiences of others, sharing ideas and looking at what could work within our own Statian context,” Governor Francis stated.
The Governors thanked Mayor Schouten and the NPRZ representatives for the opportunity to exchange experiences and gain further insight into Rotterdam-South’s approach to long-term community development.
