OUR TEAM
Meet our team! Below you will see the faces behind not only the board of Keep Them Warm, but also the parent organization On My Way UA.
Keep Them Warm
The daily board of Keep Them Warm consists of seven enthusiastic students. Together we arrange the rides, maintain contact with volunteers, set up actions and collect donations.
Chair
Nova van der Kamp
Hi! Ik ben Nova, voorzitter van Keep Them Warm. Tijdens mijn studie Public International Law groeide mijn passie voor het oorlogsrecht, waar één principe onbetwistbaar is: burgers mogen nooit het slachtoffer worden van oorlog.
Toch zien we dagelijks de hartverscheurende realiteit van onschuldige mensen die lijden onder een conflict waar ze niet voor kozen. Stilzitten was geen optie. Met Keep Them Warm vond ik een manier om niet alleen toeschouwer te zijn, maar echt iets te betekenen voor hen die dit onrecht dagelijks ervaren.
We blijven aandacht vragen voor het conflict in Oekraïne en de mensen die er nog elke dag dag de gevolgen van voelen. Want hoe ver weg het ook lijkt, daar is oorlog nog steeds de werkelijkheid. Zolang dat zo is, blijven wij ons inzetten om hen warm te houden - letterlijk én figuurlijk.
Treasurer
Stijn van Etten
Hi! My name is Stijn and I am the treasurer of Keep Them Warm this year. With my work for Keep Them Warm I hope to contribute a little bit to a slightly better world. At the same time it makes me realize that the luxury and peace that we know in the Netherlands is far from self-evident. I am mainly concerned with the budget, income and financial settlement of the rides that we facilitate. I am currently following my master in Delft and in my spare time I like to do sports or do odd jobs. Questions about some financial matters? Feel free to send me a message!
Media & Socials
Eva van der Horst
Hoi, ik ben Eva, student politicologie en ik beheer dit jaar de media en socials van Keep Them Warm.
Aan het begin van 2024 heb ik voor het eerst een rit gemaakt naar de Oekraïense grens. Dit was een hele indrukwekkende reis met een groep vrienden waarmee we twaalf vluchtelingen veilig vervoer hebben aangeboden. Na het aanhoren van hun verhalen en het zien hoeveel impact één zo’n rit kan hebben voor een groep mensen, ben ik geïnspireerd om meer te gaan doen. Zo kwam ik op het idee om te solliciteren voor het bestuur van KTW.
Als bestuurslid ben ik bezig met het delen van de verhalen over de oorlog en onze acties. Om zo de gedachten aan alle slachtoffers en het conflict warm te houden.
Trip coördinator
Wiki Urban
Trip coördinator
Pelle Evers
Hi! My name is Pelle. Together with Wiki I coordinate the rides that go to the Ukrainian border via our organization. In the first year of the war I was tipped off by a friend about the existence of Keep Them Warm. I immediately felt called to make a ride together with friends to do our bit. This first ride made such an impression because of the stories of the Ukrainian refugees who rode back to the Netherlands with us, that a second and third ride quickly followed. The rides showed me that you can have an impact with your own initiative and that offering help is not only reserved for large NGOs or national politics. When I saw that they were looking for new board members I didn't have to think twice. I hope that with our organization we can motivate many more young people (or older people, that is of course also possible) to make a ride and thus offer help to people who really need it.
Activities coördinator
Thijs Welsing
Hi, I'm Thijs. I'm the coordinator of activities for Keep Them Warm and I do this together with Amelie. Since the beginning of the war, I've been very impressed by all the suffering that has been reported in the news. I wanted to contribute and that's why I made my first trip to the Polish-Ukrainian border with two friends to pick up refugees. This special experience showed me how our freedom is not something we can take for granted, but also how much impact you can have by simply taking action.
After this ride I wanted to stay involved and at Keep Them Warm I got the chance to get involved in a structural way. As coordinator of activities I am involved in collecting donations, so that we can further expand our initiative and continue it sustainably. In addition, we are also involved in increasing our reach so that we can reach as many potential ride makers as possible. In this way we try to involve new people and keep the attention for aid to Ukraine warm.
Activities coördinator
Amelie van der Plas
Hi! I am Amelie and together with Thijs we organize the activities of Keep Them Warm. The task is nicely varied, because one time the goal is more to collect sponsorship and the other time more to increase brand awareness. We have a lot of freedom in this, because it is a new function within the board. That makes it a bit challenging sometimes, but also ensures that this is a function in which we can put a lot of creativity. New ideas are also always welcome!
I heard about the foundation through a friend and I immediately admired all the people who make the rides possible. 'I want to contribute to that too' I knew. When I went on a ride myself with my board I really realized how much impact 1 ride can have and I realized even more how important it is that we keep making these rides. So that we can help the people who unfortunately have become the victims of this war a little bit where we can. Under the guise of every little bit helps, I hope that we can motivate even more people to make a ride or to contribute in another way.
On My Way UA
Keep Them Warm is an initiative of the On My Way UA foundation. The foundation's board consists of the four founders of Keep Them Warm.
Founder Keep Them Warm & board of On My Way UA
Godert Ponsen
As co-founder of Keep Them Warm, I have been involved in the initiative since its inception. Outside of my work at Keep Them Warm, I am studying for a Master's degree in Work and Organizational Psychology at the University of Amsterdam.
As a board member of the foundation, I help shape the long-term strategy and ensure continuity within the foundation and its activities. I focus on establishing new contacts and exploring opportunities, for example for projects in Ukraine or for financial possibilities.
Founder Keep Them Warm & board of On My Way UA
Magalie van Exel
My name is Magalie and I am one of the co-founders of Stichting Keep Them Warm. My family and I used to live in Poland and when the war in Ukraine broke out, I came into contact with a Polish-Dutch aid worker who helped us with a destination and goal for the very first ride in 2022. After many enthusiastic responses from peers, we founded Keep Them Warm, to facilitate that as many students as possible could also contribute. After transferring the daily management, I remained involved as a general board member and am now chairman of the foundation board of Keep Them Warm. In this role, I ensure that there is close contact between the daily committee and the board and that we can contribute to the continuity and a long-term vision of the foundation.
Founder Keep Them Warm & board of On My Way UA
Max Bogaard
When Russia invaded Ukraine on a large scale, I went to the Polish-Ukrainian border as a journalist. There I saw tens of thousands of people crossing the border every day – exhausted, without a plan, fleeing a pointless war of aggression. The helplessness I felt never left me. Fortunately, with Keep Them Warm we can do something about it.
Founder Keep Them Warm & board of On My Way UA
Oekje van Asten
Hi, my name is Oekje and I am involved with the Keep Them Warm Foundation. At the end of 2022, I went on a trip to Przemyśl for the first time. The situation at the border, the visit to the reception centers there, and especially the stories of the refugees in our car, led to the establishment of Keep Them Warm - so that other students can also get involved. Unfortunately, that effort is still very much needed, but it is nice to see that many students are still willing to do their bit. If you have any questions, you can always contact us!