Volunteer Work in Focus: Ikram from Home Empowerment

Starting from April, the Westerpost in Nieuw West publishes the section ‘Volunteering in Focus’ every two weeks. In this section, volunteers talk about their volunteering work and what their organization means to the residents of Nieuw-West. Volunteers are invaluable, for fellow human beings, the neighborhood, the city, and more. Fortunately, in the Nieuw-West district, there are many people who lend a helping hand, but there are never enough.

Ikram Oulad Hadj (31) works as a volunteer at Foundation Home Empowerment.

I wanted to do something with my life, get off the streets, stand on my own two feet, no longer depend on support workers, cozy coffee shops, agencies, and benefits. I’ve come a long way already. Volunteering has helped me with that. I support girls and women who come to Home Empowerment with their stories. Stories about problems at home, domestic violence, and impending homelessness.

I speak the same language of life

I wasn’t an easy person, a woman who knew the laws of the street and had a quick wit. Now I can listen better to the stories, the fear, the worries, the shame, and the social isolation of others. Together with our women and guides from Home Empowerment, we determine which steps are helpful. Learning Dutch, registering for housing, integration. We interpret and help find the way in the world of assistance. I am an example with my own story, I can tell and show how I am working to get my life back on track. That is comforting and motivating.

It’s in my heart

When you see someone who is not doing well, you help. It makes me happy to see women conquering their place in society, getting their lives back on track. It takes a lot of strength. I learn every day at Home Empowerment, from the staff, the stories of the women, and the courses we take. I would now like to pursue a formal education and turn this beautiful volunteer work into my profession.Home Empowerment FoundationDerkinderenstraat 11, 1062BE Amsterdaminfo@homeempowerment.nl020 846 99 43 | 06 38 32 78 93This is a non-translatable content.

OoCan I start working as a volunteer?Check out ourJob Board or call for a personal conversation in Nieuw West: 06-34030720.

Photo: VCA Media Kitty de Jong

Text: Nettie Sterrenburg