Who is Joyce van Rijen? Friday July 20th 2007- Was born 35 years ago in Etten-Leur. Graduated at child an youth psychology in Amsterdam 1996. For ten years she has hockeyed at the hockeyclub push at the highest level and for two years she even played in the premier league. In 2006 she founded a children’s home Swarga in Bhaktapur Nepal, together with her business partner Krishna. The children’s home is especially for disabled children. This year she received the BN/de stem development reward. From the 7th of august she is back in the Netherlands.

'You shouldn’t waste your time ' door Trudie Nihot
Translated by Luc Stijns and Beatrijs Voorneman


Joyce van Rijen: ‘If it were up to me I would be burned in a public fire, like every body else in Nepal ’. Foto Awe Krijger/ het fotoburo

“There was a warm welcome for me when I got back in the Netherlands, last May. I’ve been overflowed with positive reactions. And I mean not only in financial ways. “

Do you believe in god? “No, I don’t believe in god but more in your own individual power. In Nepal, a lot of religions live next to each other in harmony, like Buddhism, Hinduism or Muslims.

Who are your examples? “The children in Nepal are despite their handicap very positive. They will never give up. That’s very motivating.

What are you afraid of? Sometimes I’m afraid that everything I’ve built up will just splash out like a soap bubble.

What do you dislike? “The bleating about small things, the cliché about western people being complainers is absolutely true.”

Are you idle? “My nieces always tell me to do something about my hair stile.”

How important is money for you? “For me personal, it’s just a necessity of life. For the children’s home it’s very important. It’s my own company, and I need to sell my product. I often have trouble with that. I don’t like to force people. I’d like to see it come from people themselves.

How important is work for you? “Nepal is my lifework. Everyone can read on the website http://www.suvadra.com what we’ve been doing and meet the children.

How were you raised? “Words like; can not, weren’t in the vocabulary at home. That’s what I try to teach the children in Nepal with.

What would you like to change of yourselves? “I’ve to learn to stand above critics of others. Sometimes the hesitation hits in. I never could have wished everything would go so easy.”

What’s your biggest failure? “I’ve never seen it as a failure, but it has been a disappointment that my project for the children with the Duchenne disease didn’t work out as I hoped. However it brought me to where I’m now.

What’s your biggest dream? “That I have realized my children’s home. I never could have dreamt, this could have been realized in such short time.”

Always saved? “Two golden rings I’ve received at two special occasions. One ring I received from my brother at my 21tst birthday. The other I received from my parents after I graduated.

What’s your motto in life? “You shouldn’t waste the time you have but use it usefully.”

With whom would you like to switch for a day? “With Oprah Winfrey” a remarkable choice “I was only thinking about the millions she owns, I could realize a lot with that money.”

When did you cry for the last time? “At the fare well of the children in Nepal. I miss them terribly. After two weeks, I would like to go back. Much more I see Nepal as my home, when I’m there I don’t miss the Netherlands.

Love? “When you’re aiming at the love for one person, there is none. The love for my family and children is the one that counts.

What’s your most ridiculous acquisition ever? “It’s not an acquisition but a hilarious experience. My father, brother and I have visited a barber in a national park in Nepal. Before, one rule is to negotiate about the price. We didn’t do that so afterwards we got presented the bill which was twelve hundred roupies (twelve euro). Normally it will cost you fourteen roupies. The barber closed the shop for that week because he had earned enough.”

Where would you like to be buried? “When it’s up to me, I’ll be burned in a public fire, like every body else in Nepal . If I die earlier than my parents , than they can bring me back to the Netherlands and burry me. I can’t make them burn me because it always happens the day you die.”

Where would you live, if it weren’t in Nepal? “I wouldn’t go back to Holland even though I feel like a Dutchman. During the world cup I’m always for the Netherlands.”