By Otti Thomas
The Netherlands has more than 150,000 residents with roots in Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba. Thousands of these residents are successful in their own way. During 2018, Foundation Ocan, originating from the Consultative Body for Dutch Caribbean persons, will put one of these persons in the spotlight every week. In the spotlight this week is Duane Meade, financial consultant and board member of Unified St. Maarten Connection.
In his own words:
I was lucky. I finished with the course Business Management at the Haagse Hogeschool on a Thursday and by the Monday thereafter, I had my first working day as a financial accountant at Patagonia, an American clothing brand. I travelled for two and a half years to 12 European countries where the company had operations – an amazing experience.
Nowadays, I work for a British electronics company called ao.com. As a financial consultant, I advise on the financial consequences of our European activities. I supervise the success of projects, analyse risks and try to reduce costs.
The first years following my graduation were busy. Everything was new and I tried to learn as much as possible. I had more free time after one and a half years and sought more contact with St. Maarten. Unified St. Maarten Connection (USC) turned out to be the best way to do so. I’ve been a board member there for two years now.
USC gave me the opportunity to learn skills that had nothing to do with financial account management, but which helped me in dealing with persons on the job and the trainings that I conduct. It requires understanding, empathy and ways to continually motivate people.
Help
In a span of five years, USC has grown into a network of young professionals and students in the Netherlands and a few on St. Maarten. We give information and offer support to young St. Maarteners that come to the Netherlands for their studies.
Prior to leaving, there is a one-week workshop on St. Maarten and after arriving in the Netherlands, there is another one-week workshop. It is pertinent that these students have a handbook from USC with up-to-date information on studying in the Netherlands. The library on St. Maarten and the Koninklijke Bibliotheek library in The Hague both have a copy.
Older St. Maarteners often express how they would have liked to have had the same chances. Many youngsters choose to not have any contact with fellow St. Maarteners during their student years so that they can wholly focus on their studies, or they socialise exclusively with fellow St. Maarteners.
Both choices have advantages and disadvantages. When you isolate yourself, you do not have any influence on the community from which you came. When you are solely in contact with St. Maarteners, you miss the opportunity to learn other cultures and perspectives. USC organises events and projects that are a mix of both choices.
Obstacle
My introduction to the Netherlands was a culture shock. I was 17 and came here as a free-mover because I was too young for study financing at the time. At first I lived in Nijmegen with family but later moved to The Hague. Nijmegen is much more multicultural these days but I found it difficult to integrate. Above all, I had an island mentality.
I was dressed in baggy pants, an extra-extra-extra-large T-shirt and du-rag on my head. That was accepted in the Caribbean community, but people in Nijmegen questioned who I was and what I was looking for. I had to adapt myself in order to be accepted.
I had the support of family and friends during difficult moments, fortunately – you do not always need to ask your parents for help because they often know instinctively what is needed. At USC, we advise parents to make sure to maintain a good relationship with their study-going children because of this. That support is really important – not only during the first years, but right up until the end of their education.
Inspiration
Drive is necessary in conquering all possible challenges. You cannot choose which challenges those are. One disappointment can set you back a day or two; but another disappointment may push your goal back three or four months. At work, I am driven by my hunger for knowledge.
At USC, tangible result is my most important drive. There is a very strong network of volunteers. Parents feel much more confident when their children go off to study in the Netherlands. Better information results in more quality questions and conversations. We now have the challenge to achieve the same in St. Maarten so that more people can benefit from that.
Grateful
I know it is cliché, but without my parents, I would not be where I am now in life. Your parents helped you when you could not yet speak and protected you when you could not protect yourself. They helped you in doing better during primary school and helped later in secondary school. When you think you know everything better, you find that this is actually not the case. You can even ask for advice after you have started your career. Relationships and friends come and go, but your parents are the only constant factor during all those life phases.
Advice
Try to contribute to the community through volunteer work, for example. It takes a year and a half for most people of my generation to find a job after they graduate. Why would you wait to use your skills? Volunteering helps to improve upon your skills and to learn new skills. Because even when you complete a study at the very highest level, you still do not know everything. There is yet a lot to learn, such as the fundamental things about working on St. Maarten. Foremost, through volunteer work you often find a job quicker because even the employer recognises that you have contributed.
Foundation Ocan supports Dutch Caribbean persons in the achieving of their individual and shared ambitions and objectives. Visit www.ocan.nl and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
