The woman behind the Djakoejoe Foundation: Tanya van Workum
To better understand the motivation behind our Foundation, we interview all the people who have committed themselves wholeheartedly to the Djakoejoe Foundation and its goals. And where better to start than with co-founder Tanya van Workum? Tanya is 36 years old and was born in Lviv, Ukraine. She has completed two bachelor degrees and a masters in Lund, Sweden. There, she met Dutchman Paul van Workum. Love brought her to the Netherlands in 2011. Their loving family now has 3 children.
Tanya van Workum about 5ProMobile
Tanya: “I have been an entrepreneur since 2016. With 5Pro Mobile we build custom apps (mainly for companies). Our team of 50 developers is based in Ukraine. From the Netherlands I help most of my clients as Product Owner. The app is contrived and developed here in the Netherlands and built by our highly qualified developers in Ukraine. What distinguishes 5Pro from other companies: by working with an excellent Dutch Product Owner who – together with the customer – determines what is needed. And the team of experienced developers who know different programming techniques and languages. Therefore, complex projects are our specialty ?!”
Tanya van Workum: Honest, open and hardworking
“Not the woman or the man, Dutch or Ukrainian, Entrepreneur or Employee, but human being. I always go in depth. Shallow, quick and “for the outside world” is not for me. I stand for rational and fair opportunities for everyone. For freedom and respect. For thinking and analyzing.”
Raised in Lviv Ukraine
“My bachelor’s degree in medicine left me with many friends. They all work in healthcare now. My second bachelor is in international economics. I was very involved with local NGOs in Lviv. I worked on semi-political projects aimed at building democracy in Ukraine, strengthening relations between the youth in Crimea and Lviv, as well as between the Eastern Ukraine (Lugansk and Donetsk) and Western Ukraine (Lviv region).”
The road to the Netherlands
“I met Paul during my Erasmus exchange in Sweden. We had been together for 5 months, when I went back to Ukraine and Paul had to go back to Oss. I knew nothing about the Netherlands. What I did know is that I wanted to be with Paul. Living with his parents was not an option. For 6 months we saved everything we could, so that we could afford a small apartment in Oss. I obtained a visa as a job seeking highly skilled migrant (for 1 year). That’s how my life here started. We started with nothing. Everything we have now, we built together. We have a lot in common, trust each other and share the same vision of the world. Which fits in well with our business.”
Tanya van Workum on the war in Ukraine
“The beginning of the war was debilitating. I couldn’t believe it and was scared, sad and worried. I wanted to do something. But where to start? Who to call first? What to ask? It was an avalanche of communication, search queries, people wanting to help and a battered Ukraine crying out for help.”
The Djakoejoe Foundation has already donated over € 200,000 to hospitals in Ukraine
“We started with a campaign: “Heart for Ukraine.” We sold blue/yellow chocolates and donated the proceeds to the International Red Cross. People from Ukraine kept calling me with requests for relief supplies. At the same time, unknown people approached us with large donations for relief supplies, not only from Oss and the surrounding area! Our network also quickly took action. I can now proudly say that the Djakoejoe Foundation consists of a large group of volunteers and that together we have already arranged over € 200,000 in aid in a few months.”
Hope for a sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine
“I hope to make a big impact on the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine. I want to do this by helping the business community in Ukraine and stimulating the economy in a sustainable way. We also aim to connect Ukraine and the Netherlands.”
Help us help the hospitals in Ukraine
“We receive requests from hospitals in Ukraine every week. The need is high because so many people are injured. With VAC devices, wounds heal much faster, which improves the lives of the injured and makes them recover faster. This allows the hospitals to help more people. What’s bad is that there is not a single hospital that has VAC devices left. That is why we are looking for companies, organizations and donors who are able to donate larger amounts. That way we can buy the VAC devices and help hospitals in Ukraine much faster. So if you want to donate, please! And if you have ideas to help get us the attention of sponsors, please, do not hesitate to contact us.”
