Text and image Marinio Balsemhof
PARAMARIBO — Friday was a special day for the more than 110 children from the schools Grietjebie, Bloementuin, LOM Samuel and the Louis Braille School. Under a radiant sun they were able to participate in numerous activities organized by the Ilonka Elmont Foundation team. There were also various attractions especially for the children. The students clearly enjoyed the various games and the relaxed atmosphere that prevailed during the day.
One of the special guests was top judoka Shaquille van Zichem. To his surprise, he turned out to be already known to many of the children. The judoka looks back with great pleasure on his participation in the sports day. “I wonder why I wasn’t asked to do this before,” says Van Zichem, laughing.
“This experience was fantastic. The kids loved it”
He promises to cooperate again in the future when he is called upon. “I really enjoyed it. I was able to play sports with the children and have fun. One of the boys even challenged me to fight. He thought he would win because he was bigger than me. Moments like that make a day special,” he says laughing.
According to the judoka, the children’s energy radiated clearly. “I felt so much positive energy. It was great to see how much fun the children were having and how much enthusiasm they showed during all the activities.”
Van Zichem indicated that working with children with disabilities turned out to be less complicated than he had previously thought. “With the blind children, I had to figure out how to best explain certain assignments. But otherwise everything went very naturally. The children understood the assignments well and participated enthusiastically.”
Important attention for children
What he especially remembers is the importance of such initiatives for children who, according to him, sometimes receive too little attention. “I think it’s great that these kinds of activities are organized for these children. These are children who are sometimes forgotten, while they deserve so much fun and attention. That’s why I think these kinds of projects are extremely important.”
The judoka emphasized that the day once again showed him how valuable it is to dedicate his time and energy to social projects. “I love children and I want to use my strengths even more for these types of initiatives. This is a collaboration to which I am happy to contribute.”
Pakira provides an unforgettable experience
Initiator Ilonka Elmont also looks back with satisfaction on the successful sports day. She is especially proud of the efforts of her team, which always comes up with new ideas to make the activities more attractive for the children.
One of the highlights of this edition was the visit of Pakira, a group of motorcyclists who created a lot of enthusiasm with their impressive motorcycles. The Harley-Davidsons made a big impression on the children, who even had the opportunity to accelerate the bikes. “This experience was fantastic. The kids loved it,” Elmont said.
According to her, the success of the sports days is partly due to the efforts of a strong team and an extensive network of volunteers and partners. “Not everything comes from me alone. We have a great team that is committed to making these activities possible.”
Discipline as the key to success
The foundation is now looking ahead to the rest of the year. In addition to the recently completed art and culture project Introdans and the sports activities already held, four more sports days are planned.
Elmont emphasizes that the strength of the organization lies in its continuous commitment and discipline. “The reason why we as a foundation are successful is because we are consistent. Just like in top sport, you have to have discipline, persevere and keep working towards your goals.”
She wants to convey this message not only to the participating children, but also to schools, parents and society as a whole. “If you want to achieve something, you have to keep going, persevere and show discipline. That is the basis of success. That is exactly what we try to pass on to the children with these sports days.”
