Tourism Corporation Bonaire volunteered during BON DOET

Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) team registered in early February to participate in the 13^th edition of BON DOET. This year TCB went to Center “Nos Perseveransia”, operational since 2013 as part of Mental Health Caribbean. This year’s task, held on Friday, March 15^th, involved planting more than 160 trees and plants within a four-hour morning session. A team of over ten individuals collaborated to enhance greenery for those with mental challenges and foster increased engagement opportunities.

Firstly, BON DOET is a major volunteer campaign on Bonaire, organized by the BON DOET team and the NGO platform in collaboration with Oranje Fonds. BON DOET, with ARUBA DOET, CURA DOET, SXM DOET, STATIA DOET, SABA DOET, and NLdoet, forms the largest volunteer event in the Dutch Kingdom.  This year’s event occurred on March 15^th and 16^th, during which many tasks were undertaken across different foundations and associations.

Next, the foundation chosen, Mental Health Caribbean (MHC), organizes psychological, psychiatric, and addiction care for the Dutch Caribbean islands on behalf of the Caribbean Netherlands Healthcare Insurance office. MHC employs various disciplines such as psychiatric nurses, social psychiatric nurses, (child and adolescent) psychologists, (child and adolescent) psychiatrists, social workers, activity supervisors, sheltered housing supervisors, prevention workers, and forensic care employees. MHC is a separate foundation with its office registered on Bonaire. One of their housing facilities is Center “Nos Perseveransia”, where TCB went to “Hasi bon, pasa bon!”.

Moreover, Center “Nos Perseveransia” offers a housing facility with a capacity for 18 people from the age of 18 in need of guidance with addiction problems, psychiatric problems, mild intellectual disability, or a combination of these. The center also offers outpatient assistance, daytime activities, and guidance in joining the workforce, moving towards the highest attainable form of independence. The guidance offered is aimed at social recovery, empowerment, and experiential expertise so that participants, despite limitations, can function satisfactorily in the environment of their choice.

Finally, as our slogan says, “It’s in our nature”, meaning we help each other and care for our nature by volunteering and planting native plants. Plants have many benefits, including stress reduction, air quality improvement, and assistance in speedy recoveries. These all happen while surrounded by plants, but working in the garden has many more benefits, such as boosting your mood, regulating your immune system, strengthening your bones, and it also counts as exercise.

Check out our social media platforms for a fun video of the TCB team’s efforts. For more information on volunteer work and how to contribute, visit the NGO platform website: www.ngobonaire.org.  For more information on MHC and everything they do, visit their website: www.mentalhealthcaribbean.com.

The TCB team received the award for best reel during the closing ceremony on Saturday, March 16^th.