‘Underneath The Surface’:

In Today’s episode of ‘Underneath The Surface’ I take a closer look at Dutch healthcare and try to get a better glimpse at the effects of austerity. Is demise imminent in contemporary welfare, or are there glimpses of hope to be found? Come find out as we seek to find answers Underneath The Surface!

Did you learn something new during this episode? Let me know!

Today’s podcast was supported by an interview with an expert, who also happens to be my friend! Wanna know more about my buddy Karim?
Check out a short summary below!

Karim is 64 years old. As an Iranian communist refugee Karim has seen a long journey through Europe until he ended up in The Netherlands 25 years ago. He worked for a long time before becoming incapacitated around 10 years ago. He hasn’t set foot outside of his house since that moment. Struggling with trauma from his refugee past he became eligible for a ‘buddy program’ of De Regenbooggroep, a NGO focused on socially isolated individuals and connecting volunteers with them to spend time together. I am one of those volunteers. We met 4 years ago and have been having lunch every week and reading books together. I haven’t been involved with De Regenboog groep for about a year, since they don’t support buddy programs for longer than 3 years (with an average engagement of 6 months per volunteer). I don’t mind it though, I am very grateful for knowing Karim, and he seems to be content too!

If you are interested in having a meaningful connection with a person in need, De Regenbooggroep is in dire need of volunteers and would love to have you!