Volunteer work grows into a paid position: “This is my ideal job!”

Agnetha Pawirowijono (45) is a coordinator at the Buurtfabriek, the community center on Mozartlaan. She started there as a volunteer and managed to turn this into a paid job at the Buurtfabriek. “I am busy all day and make contact with everyone. My strength is that, as a local resident, I can help people move forward.”

There is always something going on at the community center on Mozartlaan. From activities such as sewing and hobby clubs to sports, events, and homework assistance. “For a number of children, this is a second living room after school, a safe place in the neighborhood,” says Agnetha. “Volunteers help them with their homework three times a week. Furthermore, the children can really let off steam on the sports field and the trampolines. I have also started cooking classes. This helps the children become independent, but also ensures they have a full stomach.”

Sleeping on the couch
You can easily walk into the community center. Agnetha: “Everyone from the neighborhood is welcome here!” And Agnetha knows how important this is from her own experience. “Years ago, I moved with the children to Het Rode Dorp, a neighborhood in Buitenhof, after coming out of a bad relationship. I was doing badly at the time. After taking the children to school, I went to sleep. I set the alarm for when I had to pick them up again. It was stressful living in a house that was too small, where I slept on the couch and had to live on 150 euros a week with three children.”

Gaining structure
Her neighbors invited Agnetha to visit the Rode Feniks sometime. At this foundation, which is started and run by active neighborhood residents, they organized children's activities. “That is where my children started music lessons, and so I naturally started coming and going here. That was also the beginning of my volunteer work. Furthermore, I performed various tasks through Werkse! and I took training courses there. That helped to get structure back into the day.”

Everything will work out.
“The biggest problem was that I was in debt,” says Agnetha. “I entered debt restructuring for 18 months. A special program to get rid of my debts. In addition, I worked with my consultant from Werkse!I started talking to Marissa about work. At the time, I was a volunteer coordinator at the community center while retaining my benefits. But for the debt restructuring program, I had to do as many hours of paid work as possible. I approached the boards of the Rode Feniks and the Buurtfabriek myself, and I managed to get a one-year contract for 32 hours. Everything was looking better and better for me. I had started therapy, and during the last session, it seemed as if my problems were flowing out of me. I thought, 'If this works, the rest should work too.'"

Make a difference
Agnetha is now a permanent fixture at the Buurtfabriek. “I love it and learn something new every day. The community center makes such a difference for people. During the summer holidays, for example, we take children to the amusement park for a day. I know from experience that this is priceless. Of course, I also talk to the parents. Sometimes a child is very naughty and things get out of hand. Often, we can resolve that ourselves. But if there is really more going on and help is needed, I can refer them to Delft voor Elkaar, for example. The lines of communication are short.”

Key figure in Buitenhof
Agnetha hadn't thought she would get this far. And yet, she went a step further. “I am almost finished with the accelerated social work program,” she says. “When I’m done, I hope to go into the neighborhood more to reach out to people. I am a key figure in Buitenhof and can help families who are in the same situation as me.”

Start as a volunteer
Agnetha calls on people to do volunteer work. “Get out the door and look for a community center or library. Start as a volunteer and keep at it! It really pays off. At the Buurtfabriek, four people work in paid jobs and ten volunteers. And yet we are still short of hands! We are looking for all kinds of people; for odd jobs outside, homework assistance, as a hostess or host, or as a barista. It doesn't matter if you don't speak the language perfectly yet. You will learn it here naturally! This week we celebrated King's Day and it was such a success for our team. About three hundred people came and the atmosphere was great. Then I sit on the couch in the evening feeling satisfied.”

Trust as the key to success
According to Agnetha, trust is ultimately the key to success. “That is what makes the Rode Feniks so special. It feels like family here. People believe in you, they give you space, and they look at what you *can* do. For me, that has been truly essential.” It was precisely that family atmosphere that allowed Agnetha to grow from a local resident and volunteer to a permanent fixture in her own neighborhood. “How special is it that you can create a job in the place where you live? My children can just drop by here. They know the people, they feel at home. And so do I.” At the Buurtfabriek and the Rode Feniks, according to Agnetha, work is not based on systems or rules, but on trust and ownership. “You are given responsibility, and because of that, you start taking it. That makes people stronger. Not just me, but everyone who comes through the door.”