Linda Jonk also addresses the students. After the fire, she was in hospital for a long time with serious burns. Now she stands in front of the class at her old school and sometimes gets emotional when she talks about that time. The students listen attentively.
She says it is fantastic that this commemoration is being organised. “The fact that you face that collective trauma together by sharing and thereby healing, that is gold.”
Resilience and talking about the disaster
Both Jonk and Keizer want to teach the children that it is important to talk about problems. “Everyone will experience misery, hopefully not something like this disaster, but if it happens, talk about it,” says Keizer.
“Resilience and perseverance pays off,” says Jonk. “It was very difficult for me and I was also deeply depressed, but I got to know myself. If you are true to yourself, you can weather many storms.”
The commemoration at Don Bosco shows that the disaster is still alive in the village, even after 25 years. On January 1, 2026, the New Year’s Fire will again be commemorated in a grand manner in Volendam.