“A world opens up to you”

Photography: Albert NanningMathis Fleer (38) can be found at the Marnixbad every Monday evening, where he plays games with people with intellectual disabilities. “The level of the participants who come to swim varies greatly. It’s a puzzle for me to figure out how to reach them. Making jokes, for example, doesn’t work very well. It varies from person to person.”“I worked at Asko for seven years, the last three of which as a director. Asko is a steel company that manufactures industrial knives for companies such as Tata Steel (Hoogovens). In early 2016, I resigned from my job and moved to Lausanne for love. It was time to spread my wings.”Connection“Last October, I returned to the Netherlands. I was not able to find work in Switzerland. I couldn’t build my own life there and decided to come back. That also meant the end of the relationship. It was a difficult period for me.

Back in Amsterdam, I wanted to reconnect with the city. To contribute something. I was looking for something that I was passionate about. And I wanted to continue doing it once I found work again. In December 2016, I started at Prisma as a swimming instructor. This volunteer work is from half past six to half past eight in the evening, very relaxed.”Mirror“I didn’t know anyone with an intellectual disability. A good friend of mine works in healthcare and he said that working with these people is very rewarding. That they react very genuinely and hold up a mirror to you. I was curious to see if I could work with this target group.

This volunteer work brings you into the present moment. You are just busy, which is satisfying. It has brought life to me.

There are about five volunteers per evening and one paid staff member, we have two groups of ten to twenty participants. The water is not deep, the bottom is pushed up. We play all kinds of games, some do laps, the goal is to get moving. That is not so obvious for these people. I enjoy throwing the ball, involving people, stimulating them. As volunteers, we also have the task of guiding the participants from the taxi to the changing room, to the shower, and the pool. We take turns in doing so.”Eyeopener“Recently we were aiming a basketball at a hoop floating on the water. An older, rather quiet man who usually doesn’t participate much nodded at me, so I asked if he wanted to take a shot. He did, and nine out of ten shots were on target! As if it was nothing. He was just a really good basketball player! Wow. It’s so nice to see that everyone has talents.”

“This volunteer work brings you into the present moment. You’re just busy doing something, which is satisfying. It has brought life into my days. I was going through a tough time, and this is one of the things that gave me a push. I have also gained insight into this group of people, a whole new world opens up to you. It was a real eye-opener for me to see how much care and attention are directed here. And a lot of it escapes our notice. My worldview has become more complete.”Would you like to do volunteer work with people with intellectual disabilities?At foundation Prisma, they can use your help in all kinds of activities. Check out thejob boardfrom Volunteer Center Amsterdam.