Maisy: "Why did you become a Red Cross volunteer?"
Hilda: "That's a funny story. In 2012, I was able to ride along with the Red Cross bus together with a volunteer friend to the Blossom Walk in Geldermalsen. I wanted to board the bus home after a day of walking, when they suddenly joked: 'This bus is only for people of the Red Cross! So you can choose: either walk back to Nieuw-Vennep or volunteer now.' So I had no choice, although I never regretted it."

Hilda: "How did you join the Red Cross?"
Maisy: "I have actually always worked in disability care on the island. When I saw the branch manager at the Red Cross vacancy, I applied immediately. I already knew the organisation; I had already done an internship here seventeen years ago. That kind of care - 'taking care of people' - really appeals to me."

Maisy: "What kind of things do you do as a volunteer?"
Hilda: "I am deployable as an events aid worker, member of the emergency response team, driver and biker. I was also treasurer for another year and a half. I love booking bills, but you also have to be a tactical manager. That wasn't really my thing. I prefer to be on the road, among people. Recently, I have gone to a lot of events recently, such as the Black Cross, the Four Days March of Nijmegen and the Dam tot Damloop (biggest running event in the Netherlands)."

Hilda: "Do you actually work as a first aider during events?
Maisy: "Unfortunately, I don't have the time for that. As Branch Manager, I take care of all the operational work at an event, such as logistics. One difference between the Netherlands and Curaçao is that the Red Cross in the Netherlands is a large organisation with many functions, departments and districts. In Curaçao, we are one organisation with one office and three staff members. In The Hague, you have separate departments for Finance or Communications, for example. As a jack-of-all-trades, I do a bit of everything. I work directly for a board of 11 members and keep in touch with the Netherlands Red Cross, the authorities and local partners (NGOs). I also handle applications for event assistance as well as the communication and fundraising, and I plan and organise meetings and trainings. So my role is organising, instructing and coordinating.
 
And of course, I am also there for the volunteers. They are the heart and soul of the organisation. They keep us running and alive. During the pandemic, it was quite difficult to keep up the enthusiasm among the volunteers. Some lost their jobs and at one point we were only doing food aid. Young people in particular want more than that; they like to assist at events and enjoy riding on the ambulance or applying bandages."

Maisy: "How did you get through that pandemic period?"
Hilda: "For us, that time also took its toll. We used to be with a group of 20 or so at a first aid class and suddenly, the connection was gone. I set up an app group to keep in touch. Fortunately, we now meet in person again at our branch in Hoofddorp, being there to listen when someone has been through something intense. Knowing how the other person is doing – that’s so important. We recently went out to dinner with the bikers – which we, by the way, paid for ourselves. It's good to see each other again."  

Hilda: "How do you keep that bond between volunteers alive?"
Maisy: "We have a meeting every Friday at our head office. Volunteers then attend a training or workshop with us. Sometimes we put them in the spotlight with a pastry and a drink. Yes, we are from the Caribbean, we radiate warmth and love personal contact and with these meetings, you keep that team spirit!
These kind of meetings are also great moments for younger and older volunteers to meet. That interaction, the exchange of knowledge and experience between volunteers, is also the reason why the Red Cross has existed on Curaçao for 92 years. 'Tying the old rope to the new rope' is what we call it in Papiamentu."

Maisy: "Would a practice evening something for you guys?"
Hilda: "I don't know whether our younger generation are waiting for an extra training evening on Fridays. But I'm sure a cosy evening together would be appreciated. It's good for the connection. It seems to me anyway an ideal time to introduce new volunteers. During the Four Days March of Nijmegen, I already did my best to get more people enthusiastic about the Red Cross. It was almost as if I had a big ‘i’ for information on my forehead; people regularly came over to ask me how to become a Red Cross volunteer. I referred them directly to the Red Cross in their hometown. I hope Haarlemmermeer also benefits from that."