René van de Kieft, chair
“Just few places in our world have thriving sister communities yet. I find the dedication of the deaconesses in Rwanda to be there as believers in the power of Jesus as a shining light through word and deed, very inspiring and I would like to contribute with our own deaconesses from Amerongen to help this beautiful group further in the growth of their faith and local impact!”
Dorien Peet, deaconess and board member
“Since the foundation was founded in 2011, I have been the chair. Since 2020, René is the chair. From 1995 to 2001, I worked in Rwanda and now I have the opportunity to be in this way involved with the connection with the deaconesses in Rwanda on behalf of the deaconess community in Amerongen. The commitment of the Rwandan deaconesses in the country is extremely important for the environment in which they work. I consider support for orphans to be particularly important.”
Janny Oorebeek, board member
“From the beginning of the foundation in 2011, I have been a board member and I have been visiting the deaconesses in Rwanda many times. I feel connected with the Rwanda in general, but especially with the deaconesses in Rubengera. From the faith in our one Lord we work closely together to help the people of Rubengera. A new project to do this, is the Indatwa kindergarten. Children are admitted when parents are able to pay the school fees. For the children of poor families, the school fees are sponsored by this project. Together with the deaconesses we try to help these children and their parents to advance in this society by means of self-help groups.”
Maarten ‘t Hart, board member
“From 2016 to April 2022, I was send out to Rwanda, together with my wife, Marleen. We regularly visited the sister community in Rubengera and a warm bond developed. Now that we are back in the Netherlands, it is a great opportunity for me to stay connected with Rwanda and the sister community through the board. Because I spent 6 years in Rwanda with the people, I know a lot about the country and the culture. I would like to use this knowledge and experience to help and advise the sisters in Rwanda in the beautiful work they do.”
Maarten van Ginkel, treasurer
Maarten van Ginkel is a chartered accountant and is active as an accountant-consultant-supervisor. Board member of the service organization of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, treasurer of the TFC of Ds. Geert and Florien Lustig and chairman of the Raad van Toezicht (Supervisory Board) of Charim elderly care in the regions Zeist and Veenendaal. Maarten van Ginkel talks about his motivation to become treasurer of the Foundation:
“Charim has a participant council, in which Sister Greet Verhoeven is a member. She invited me to meet in Amerongen and to find out if “we can do something for each other”. At the meeting, sister Dorien Peet was also present and told about her experiences in Rwanda: impressive… Later, when René van de Kieft called me and told that he is on the board of the “Friends of Deaconesses in Rwanda” Foundation, and that a treasurer was being sought, the puzzle pieces fits together. Very special to contribute under God’s blessing to the restoration of relationships and edification with the passionate deaconesses in Rwanda and the Netherlands!”
Alice van Barneveld, secretary
Alice van Barneveld has been added to the board as a note taker since September 2021 and hopefully as a secretary in the foreseeable future.
“To commit to this is because I am particularly impressed by the sisters in Rwanda, what they do and achieve with the few resources they have. The trust and faith they propagate is an example for me. I experience the opportunity to support them in this way, together with the sisters here, as something that comes my way for a reason.”