This Friday the 21st of November 2014 will be a proud day for the Be The Change Foundation as they are the official Oranje Fonds partner in launching SXM DOET
PHILIPSBURG:--- SXM DOET is an initiative initiated by the Oranje Fonds (part of the Samenwerkende Fondsen) in the Netherlands with 'NL Doet' which is slowly but surely taking the whole Kingdom by storm, and with much success and appreciation. The 'DOET' initiative started in the Netherlands 10 years ago and later expanded to Curacao (CURA DOET 2014), Bonaire (BON DOET 2011) and Aruba (ARUBA DOET 2013). Due to its great success and the need for such initiatives STATIA DOET and SXM DOET will follow suit with their own volunteer programs on Friday March the 20th and Saturday March the 21st, 2015. Thereby joining the largest volunteer initiative of the Kingdom, something Be The Change Foundation has always aspired to and is thrilled to help organize.
The initiative involves all interested NGO's that have a project they need help with. This can take any shape or form as long as it promotes the NGO's goal, thereby having community involvement play a large role in attaining these goals. The NGO's must sign up via the www.sxmdoet.com website with the project they would like to have executed through the help of volunteers. For this project a maximum of USD 650,- can be requested from Oranje Fonds via the sxmdoet.com website for the purpose of the project. The projects must need at least 10 volunteers or more and may also have their usual volunteers support during the day. The funding must go to things such as materials needed for that day or transportation, as well as in part for refreshments for the volunteers. It is also stimulated to have items donated during that day, be it the loaning of equipment or the provision of snacks. Projects can be far and wide and any person with any skill or will can volunteer, be it providing your hairdressing or make-up skills for the elderly or your construction and painting skills for an educational or sports facility, take foster kids out on a wonderfully entertaining excursion, partake in a neighbourhood / beach clean-up, or use your green thumb to spruce up a local community garden. The overall coordination of SXM DOET is in good hands with Be the Change Foundation, in partnership with the Oranje Fonds, part of the Samenwerkende Fondsen.
The initiative has thus far been organized very successfully throughout the Kingdom. For example in 2013 and 2014, throughout the Dutch Kingdom 400.000 volunteers devoted their time during more than 8.500 projects, a record amount! The growth in active volunteers is testament to how fun and satisfying participating can be. When ARUBA DOET was launched for the first time, immediately over 2350 volunteers joined forces to assist 87 NGO's. During CURA DOET 2014, 108 NGO's had 132 projects executed with the help of over 2600 volunteers. Just to name some examples of how well received the initiative is and how many NGO's have had their projects come to fruition. This opens up many opportunities for Sint Maarten and their community based organizations. An opportunity not to be missed.
Starting now, NGO's can register projects for which they need helping hands. Registration is open until the end of January 2015. Please check www.sxmdoet.com for all the necessary information and criteria the NGO, school, health organization, etc. must fulfill as well as the projects they propose and necessary procedures to follow. The registration of persons wanting to volunteer opens up from January onward, be it as an individual, a company, school or other organization.
All NGO's are hereby also invited to the launch and presentation for SXM DOET this coming Friday at the Belvedere Community Center in Belvedere from 5pm. Representatives from Oranje Fonds and Samenwerkende Fondsen will be present as well. For further information: Be The Change Foundation can also be contacted at phone number +1 (721) 580 1437 or by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The Foundation is looking forward to presenting SXM DOET to all the NGO's and getting the community involved in this united initiative.
