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I will always give it my best as a father; I am blessed to be a father. Have I always done everything perfect? Certainly not, but I know that God sees the father’s heart and the love, blood, sweat, and tears I give to be there for my children.

I am in competition with no one but myself;
to be a better father, every day. Both for my biological children and for:

- the children of the streets,
- the children in detention,
- the children in youth care,
- the children of a fatherless generation.

Even though I am not the biological father to these groups of children, God has given me the calling to be like a father to them. Because their own father perhaps could not do so, or because he is no longer there.

I do not take this role lightly; it is a calling, and with God’s strength and love, fulfill it with everything that is within me, daily. 🤎

“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

I am grateful for the team of friends, colleagues, and loved ones who help me fulfill my mission:

The belief that we are human beings and have the right to fair opportunities for a dignified existence from birth. Even after detention.

Thank you, , for your friendship and dedication as chairman of 💪🏿🙏🏿🤎💪🏿

Today I received the unexpected and sad news that a very sweet colleague and a highly valued and special person has passed away. , the manager of the media library at JJI de Hartelborgt, has passed away after a long battle with that nasty disease that starts with the letter c. I had many great and deep conversations with her about working with the young people in detention and how art often played a liberating role in that process.

She could also often speak passionately about her own paintings and artworks, and how this often brought her into contact with many artists, and how this was a way to help the young people inside to share their stories. She was the type of person gentle but strong enough to put you in your place if you didn’t go along with things.

I know that she will be greatly missed by her colleagues and her own family. A small anecdote that has stayed with me from the many projects we did together; She gave one of my books to her mother to read, and she replied that her mother was so happy with the stories in this book because she could now understand much better the living environment and background from which many of these young people come.

That sounded like warm music to my ears, and surely to someone who has a very big heart for people, undoubtedly Sanderien’s mother, who has now left us for eternal life.

Thank you for all the beautiful times we spent together and the wonderful conversations. I and many of my colleagues will miss your warmth.

Waka bun

Riv 🤎

Are you guys holding up okay in this tropical heat? I’m torn between wearing a cap to shield myself from the sun or going completely bare headed 🥵

Now on my way to my final presentation for the 8-week Impact program, for which I was selected with 7 other entrepreneurs out of 103 applicants. Just like that, a pitch to 100 potential partners, investors, and stakeholders, pray 4 me 🙏🏿💯

Wishing a happy Father’s Day to all fathers and father-figures who are there for their child, as well as fathers who want to be there for their child but cannot due to circumstances. Hold on to unconditional love for your child. One day, it will pay off.

A father does not always have to be biological to build a true father-child relationship, and conversely, a father can learn from his children every day how to be a better father, whether blood-related or not. It is the “lifestyle” you live that determines whether a “blood bond” will develop, and “the choices you make” influence how your child will look at you in the future.

Be blessed with wisdom and love, for many want to be a father but are unable to do so due to their physical condition; that is why I have learned that I may be grateful for the privilege of being a father. But even if you have not officially been allowed to take on that role, you can still have a father’s heart for others because God has placed that love within you; even then, I call you a father.

Be blessed & loved 🤎

Prison Tour Suriname has started. Thank you for all your prayers and support; it has been sown on good soil. I pray for an abundant harvest, with many lives being touched and changed in Jesus’ name. Thought patterns being positively influenced and lives being shaped by God’s loving power.

Pray for a safe journey, for the passing of the books and prison diaries, and for inspiration for all the men, women, and boys we are going to meet. God is good 🙏🏿🙌🏿🇸🇷

#2026