Emily Holmaat

In 2002, when I was twenty years old, I arrived for the first time at Penduka. The only thing I did that first day was crying. I was in shock, a real culture shock and I missed the Netherlands. Meme Martha wondered: ‘How will this girl survive Namibia the coming half year?’ She did. Half a year later I was crying again, but this time because I was very sad to say goodbye to my dearest new friends, a great project and a fantastic country. In the following years I visited Penduka many times.

Since December 2012 I’m one of the board members of Penduka Foundation in the Netherlands. It’s great to remain closely involved with this fantastic project.