Caribbean warmth in the Netherlands: Mila from Curaçao helps young mothers in Lelystad
Photo: Sam Jones Productions
December 30, 2021 | Sam Jones
LELYSTAD – In the cold dark days towards the end of the year, the Curaçao Mila Romijn organizes activities to support people who are not of race. Because of corona, everything has to be in an adapted form: outside and remotely as much as possible.
It is busy on a December morning in front of Romijn’s give-away shop ‘Ons Winkeltje’ in Lelystad. She works part-time as a receptionist at Omroep Flevoland, but in her spare time she is busy with her foundation with the telling name Met Inzet Lukt Alles (MILA), which is named after her.
We take a separate behind the scenes at the lied Romijn:
Report by Sam Jones
There is a long line of people at the door. Romijn ensures that everyone is at a distance of one and a half meters from each other. “If you don’t follow the rules, we can’t start,” she says sternly. Romijn is standing behind a large table in front of a small shop with some volunteers. Especially older Dutch women.
Give what you got
A woman arrives with a baby carriage. She doesn’t want to be in the picture, she doesn’t look good either. A free star tells that there is a lot of poverty in the neighborhood and that people are ashamed to tell their story. The woman with the child is happy with the package of clothes for her baby and for herself.
“We can give the clothes away for free because I got them from someone who was actually going to send them to a project in The Gambia,” says Romijn. The shipment to the African country was canceled due to covid. Because Romijn is known as someone who cares about the plight of poor people in Lelystad with her foundation, she became.
Romijn got the dozen full of new clothes. Because it is mainly about helping young families. romijn. “I have made an appeal that mothers of children born during the pandemic can come and collect a free bag.” But almost everyone who comes by receives a nice bag from the volunteers and Romijn. It takes a good look at the real need for people.
Corona makes you crazy
An elderly man stands at a great distance, watching. A volunteer who has seen the man takes a bag of clothes and brings it to the man. “I have three grandchildren,” says the man who accepted the bag. He’s happy with it. “Well… sometimes it’s hard in this one
time. Everything is corona these days. It drives you crazy.”
Freight costs to ship to Curacao
Actually, Romijn would also like to help people on the islands by donating clothes. “I’m from there and the people need it,” she says, raising her voice. But the freight cost is very high. “I’m looking for someone to say, Mila, I’ll pay the freight. Then we can also make our people on Curaçao happy.”