Dennis Bos from Emmen and four students from the Hondsrug College in New Amsterdam won prizes at the presentation of the Taalheldenprijs. The Language Heroes of 2023 received the prize this afternoon in Amersfoort from Princess Laurentien, founder of the Reading and Writing Foundation.
Out of the eleven nominees in the Student category, Emmenaar Dennis Bos was chosen as Taalheld 2023. Bos has a special story that led to his own low literacy. “I was bullied a lot in the past. As a result, I didn’t tackle anything anymore. And so I didn’t learn to read and write. For years I used a lot of excuses to hide that I couldn’t read and write.”
Not being able to read and write caused Bos problems in the past. “At one point I believed my excuses myself. It got me into trouble.” This is how he built up debts.
Now that the resident of Emmen has developed himself in terms of literacy, he also tries to help people around him. “The fact that I can now read and write gives me a warm feeling. I have gained so much more confidence. My advice for others who have difficulty with reading and writing: don’t get stuck with it. There are many, many possibilities to do some to do.”
The jury, consisting of professional football player Anouk Hoogendijk, pedagogue Michenu Maduro, magician Steven Kazan and singer René Karst from Hoogeveen, praised Bos for crossing a threshold. “He really is an example for other low-literate people, a prototype,” says jury chairman Karst. “Dennis has gotten over his shame and has shown that you can come out.”
According to Karst, many low-literate people suffer from shame, for example because they cannot read to children or grandchildren. “Dennis has shown us that he has become happier since he can read and write, and that affects us as a jury.”
Elise Deemter, Merel van der Glad, Nynke Striper and Lieke Holwarda received the Taalheldenprijs in the Bridge Builder category. The four students developed a new website on behalf of a general practice, which was suitable for low literate people. The practice noticed that they were less able to reach this group of people, as a result of which patients with complaints did not go to the GP or visited them too late, returned months later with the same complaints or took medication incorrectly.
Based on interviews with those involved, the four girls have presented a new website, which will go online soon. The jury was impressed by the initiative of the VWO 6 students. “We think it’s good that you also involve low-literate experience experts. Health is the most important thing there is. The fact that you ensure that the website of the general practice is better understood for everyone makes a deep impression.”
The girls’ initiative started as a school project, which makes jury chairman Karst all the more special that they are committed to low literacy. “It is inspiring to see that you are committed to others at such a young age, with such success. This bodes well.”
According to the Hoogeveen singer, the students’ project tastes like more. “Maybe this is a pilot. The girls have done something that isn’t there yet. They are the future.”
Both the students of the Hondsrug College and Dennis Bos receive a cash prize of 2,500 euros, which can be spent on activities to further improve reading, writing and arithmetic skills.