He spends hours every day working as a taxi driver. But Harm Bootsman from Assen does not make money with it. He drives Ukrainians to and from work, which costs a lot of time and money.
“It’s a lot of work,” says Bootsman. “I started providing assistance to Ukrainians by getting them to the Netherlands and arranging shelter. And once they are here for a while, there comes a moment when they would like to work and I get an app: ‘Harm, kun Why don’t you see if there is work for us in the area’.”
The Ukrainian refugees have come to the right place at Bootsman. He is looking for contact with farmers and other companies that already make extensive use of migrant workers for seasonal work. Ukrainians are welcome. “That starts with a group of four, then there are ten, then twenty, now there are almost a hundred, from tomorrow 130.”
Work is one thing, but getting to work is another. “I take about half of it away by car and I have to pick it up again.” Boatswain does this with his own car, in which he can take four people at a time. “I start at 7 a.m., I’ll be home around 9:30.”
Many of them work for farmers in the berries or flower bulbs. In the evening he makes the rides again and he also brings and collects the Ukrainians who work in the evening or night from chicken catchers, butchers and wholesalers. “I spend six or seven hours a day driving.”
Boatswain can do it, because he is now temporarily out of work, although he hopes that will soon change. “I did apply, so I hope to get a permanent job. Until then I like to continue to help people, I have a lovely wife who comes from Ukraine, so I think I am more committed to these people than an average Dutch person”, he explains his passion. And so he drives in all directions from Assen. From the Smildes to Nieuw-Amsterdam and Diever. And further if necessary.
But mercy also comes with a price. “It is really very expensive, I pay for the fuel myself every day and that costs money.” Boatswain loses hundreds of euros a week on petrol. “Farmers sometimes want to give a tank of petrol as compensation,” he says. But the daily journeys also place a significant burden on the car. “That’s not the youngest anymore.”
Boatswain hopes that there are people who will support him. “I’m looking for people who want to help with driving back and forth. The best thing would be if someone has a bus available. With a bus you can take more people, finish faster and help more people find work. We pay ourselves the fuel does, and some farmers where the Ukrainians work have already indicated that they want to contribute.”
Harm Bootsman told his story and his request for help in the Radio Drenthe section De Hulplijn. Help out? Please contact him via [email protected].