The circle is complete: from internship in Tanzania to collaboration with Right To Play

December 2 2024

The circle is complete!

Sixteen years ago, I organized an internship to visit Right To Play projects in Tanzania together with Jasper Visser, Eva Ronhaar, and Asha Osman. Fun fact: my now-husband, Stijn Otten - van Beest, was one of the participants—and that's where we met! So this organization will always have a special place in my heart.

Fast forward to today. With The Social Handshake – a B Corp – we’ve built a donation platform where nonprofits and companies come together. We offer initiatives like Payroll Giving, a sustainable employee benefit that lets people donate to charities directly from their salary, and Christmas Giving: charity gift cards as a “Do Good” alternative to the traditional holiday hamper.

Since October, charities can now register themselves on our platform. Over 40 have already done so. Once their application is complete and all details are in order, the collaboration agreement is signed. My colleagues do an excellent job, so I usually only see the organization when it's time for my signature.

You might see where this is going… How amazing it was to come across Right To Play last week as one of the organizations people can now support through our platform! Life is full of surprises, but sometimes, it truly comes full circle.

It feels especially meaningful to be able to give back after all these years—for the inspiration they gave us back then, and of course, for my amazing husband, whom I met on that internship.

Thank you! And here’s to many wonderful donations to come.