Her work and her study of tourism came together in the Penvrienden project, which they are through, among other things NH helps launched. “I actually had no expectations at all,” Jade looks back. “If I could only link two people, I would be happy. That there were fourteen, I really did not expect and made me very happy. The project has value.”
Jade mainly received letters from people from the area of Heemskerk and Beverwijk. “But also of people who live further away. It is a very diverse group, also in terms of age. It is not only the elderly: the youngest is 30, the oldest is 80. I think it is nice to link people to each other in terms of age: that enriches your world.”
Shared interests and hobbies
The letter writers introduced themselves extensively at Jade. “I particularly paid attention to shared interests and hobbies. Based on that, I linked the people to each other.” There are still a few letter writers who do not yet have a ‘match’. Jade: “I may be going to link myself to someone. I also really like to write letters myself.”
Jade, despite her involvement with the elderly, does not like a career in healthcare. She starts her last year after the summer vacation. “I think I will work at a travel agency later,” she says, “but I just keep the pen friends project wrong.”