Short history of the "En Classe" foundation

The founders of "En Classe" (from left to right: Irma, Hester, Sylvia, Fleur and Natascha) are 5 Dutch lady's who knew each other through the work of their husbands at Heineken/Bralima in Kinshasa. From the start of "En Classe", all of them were living in this city together with their families. Every day they got confronted with poverty and the chaos of the town. They decided to work together after they found out that all of them wanted to do volunteer work. They therefore have combined their strengths and knowledge, together they can achieve more! Before coming to Kinshasa, they all had a good job back home.(from lawyer to architect and from teacher to communication manager). All these different backgrounds, gave them a lot of knowledge, which helped them starting up the "En Classe" foundation.

The situation per October 2011

Because most expats only stay three to four years, the members of the Board are changing often. Luckily there are many volunteers who like to be a part of the "En Classe" foundation and bring their knowledge and different points of views.

from left to right: Clara (member), Cisca (president), Sandrine (treasurer), Sylvia (founder & vice-president) Ivon (secretary), Suzanne (member)