Investor WorkTalent

“Grow in who you are” is not just the slogan ofWork, but also the starting point of the collaboration with The Hunger Project. Founder Aad van der Zalm and director Marjolein van de Verdenk have been involved for several years in the work of The Hunger Project. They talk about entrepreneurship, and why they invest with WorkTalent in our Game Changers project in Mozambique.

Giving a bag of money doesn’t change anything. The Hunger Project is working on self-reliance. That does bring change and helps people grow. We believe in that.

Marjolein van de Verendonk – Director of WorkTalent

Growth from within

According to Marjolein, The Hunger Project is about one thing: development. Not charity is central, but strengthening strength that already exists in people and communities.
In this shared vision of growth, self-direction and responsibility, WerkTalent finds a natural partner in The Hunger Project. Not charity is central, but strengthening strength that already exists in people and communities.

From greenhouses and hotel school to more than 30 establishments.

The careers of Marjolein and Aad show what is possible if people can set their own course. I once started in greenhouses, picking tomatoes. Soon I knew: I don’t want to do this all my life, He started a contractor, which he built for 11 years. With savings and a lot of guts, I started a small agency. What WorkTalent is now, has not come by itself, the founder continues. We have often fallen and risen again. Meanwhile, we have grown to more than thirty branches.
Marjolein also made several career switches. I studied at the Hotelschool in The Hague and worked in London from my internship, says Marjolein. When I returned, the labour market was difficult. That’s how I rolled into the world of temp agencies. Temporarily, I thought. Now she’s been doing that job for 30 years with great pleasure. First more than 25 years at the company ManpowerGroup and now five years at WerkTalent.

When you push, people put the flywheel in themselves.

Aad van der Zalm
Founder WorkTalent.

Gratitude as a motive.

For Aad, the motivation to work with The Hunger Project is not only professional, but also personal. I realize very well how lucky I was to be born in the Netherlands, he tells. We live in a prosperous country where much is well arranged. From that realization it feels nice to share that with people for whom this is not self-evident.

Marjolein joins us. It’s really about investing in people’s development. You contribute to opportunities and a better life for people in Mozambique, who are having a hard time.

My first conversation with The Hunger Project came at the right time, and Aad continues. In this phase of my life, I increasingly reflect on the thought: Oh, my God, I got it right. What can I do for others? But what convinced Aad completely: I had never seen a project as good as yours.

Building a future for generations.

What appeals to Aad is the way of working. You need to be there to understand how it works, he says. The Hunger Project has a local team that knows exactly what is needed. That makes the difference.

Marjolein adds: ItGame Changers Projectshows exactly how to do it: working with local people who speak the language and understand how the community works. You engage the whole community and build a future that will also benefit future generations. People who have never had a chance will get one now.

Flywheel.

During a recent presentation, this impact became concrete. The video of Dianna (country director The Hunger Project Mozambique, ed.) was an eye-opener, as Marjolein says. She deliberately chooses to help her countrymen. Despite adversity, she continues. Dianna could study, something her grandparents never could. That her children and grandchildren could go to school will move on to next generations.

If you push, people put the flywheel in themselves, and Aad sums it up. In this sense, the core values of both WerkTalent and The Hunger Project come together: growth begins when people can take control themselves.

Partners wanted!

Want to know more about Game Changers? Or join this investor network? Contact us.

Annemarie de Groot-Bakker

Tel: 06-54 23 69 78

Saskia Beugel

Tel: 06-30 41 18 83