Influencer Omayra Leeflang

In this week’s blog (25th of April – 1st of May) we interviewed Omayra Leeflang; we will invite you to our next MYM Book presentation on the 10th of May 2022; we will invite you to our next Personal Journey “Emoshon, kiko e ta?” our 13^th, that starts on the 14th of May. We share some short videos based on “Activities for seniors, benefits of a bilingual brain and Vocational Training”. We will upload one of these videos every day on our facebook.com/share2uplift page.

Omayra, could you share with us some information about your family life?
My parents both came from Surinam and my father was hired by the Shell from Surinam to give technical assistance in the Shell hospital as a nurse. He was engaged to my mother when he came here, and they married by proxy soon after. I was born in Curaçao, and I am the middle child of an older brother and younger sister. My mother was a teacher and because of a lack of teachers, she also started to work as a teacher. In this middle-class family, I received so much love from my mother which I didn’t appreciate until later in my life. I never traveled by bus, as I was always brought and picked up wherever I went and I had access to so many amenities the club Asiento offered as I grew up, so I am very grateful for that. I was taught not to brag about this and I was expected from me that I would do my best and prove to myself and the world, who I was. My parents only created the circumstances, and I needed to make use of the opportunities that presented themselves. We didn’t get everything and we came to accept to live with a “NO” at times. I was brought up according to strong Christian Moral Values. My father was the ideologist as he would teach us that, as a Leeflang, you never give up. I remember one particular moment in time when I was learning certain proverbs as my homework, he overheard me saying a proverb loudly: “If you were born for a dime, you will never become a quarter”. He told me not to learn this proverb even if it had consequences in terms of my grade at school. He would say just skip answering it. Even if you would miss making a straight-A, it is an honorable grade. He told me that if he was a quarter, he wanted me to become a guilder and my children become threefold of my worth…etc..etc. I remembered this moment in time and later on, I began to understand it much better.

Anything else about your family life?
My parents and especially my mother have been very important to me, as by nature I am an introverted person. Most people won’t believe this. But I was very reserved when I grew up and loved to be all by myself and as I was showing this behavior, she as a teacher by profession, intervened. From my 8th birthday on, she made it a routine to have me leave the house every single day and be part of group activities, like ballet, creative handicraft, etc..etc… So these outdoor activities helped me become a much more social person, basically the person most people know now, but it is learned. It is by nurture, not by nature. My father’s role was to actively bring me from one place to another. This upbringing is one of the big reasons why I am so involved and passionate about Youth Programs. I am on the board of a foundation involved in cultural activities, as the mind and body are sops connected. I have clients unable to pay for such extracurricular activities. They come from different boarding institutions of different ages, varying from mentally disabled youth to youth that are attending the highest secondary school levels. I consider it a privilege to be able to give back because of my privileged upbringing.

Could you share something about your educational background and your experience?
I have been a teacher for 10 years of which 6 years at the primary school level at Fuik and those years were very intense. I have been a Papiamentu teacher for 4 years, I have been a teaching method developer at SEDE di Papiamentu, I have been a Teaching developer and I have been a policy advisor in my career. But then at a certain moment, I decided to join politics and I choose for my mission in life, not for a career.

We know you to be mainly politically active for quite some years during your whole life and you have been a civil servant also. Can you expand a little on how it all started and tell us some more about your career path?
I was 40 years old and I was convinced that I had to do something much more impacting than just working as a professional. In 1995 I was invited to become a board member of the PAR which was founded in 1993. I believed in its vision regarding the Constitutional reform of the Antilles while maintaining a Netherlands Antilles.

I still believe in the Netherlands Antilles, but I am a democrat and I respect the people’s choice. As history evolves, we can now see that this was a big mistake. Dr. Moises Da Costa Gomez also believed in the Netherlands Antilles because he believed in the need to have an internal redress for the islands, as Policymaking, Legislation, and Execution could be separate which will lead to better use of the available resources. Eliminating the governance structure, which according to me is a perfect structure, has affected our democratic system dearly. I also believe that this was done on purpose by the corrupt political elite so that power could be concentrated in just a small group of people.

My biggest motivation was the desire to change the world. I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve in the educational sector, how I would solve the language controversy as I have participated in all those discussions by introducing multiple languages education and also a strong desire to do something about poverty. That is why education is so important as a motivator.

Omayra Leeflang (@OmayraLeeflang) / Twitter

We know you have been very instrumental in introducing ‘Funderend Onderwijs’ in the past, given where we are now in terms of the rapid changes in the world and where we stand in our educational system in Curaçao at the moment, would you have done things differently if you would have had a second chance?
Well, this has been the biggest misunderstanding in my whole political career. I was one of the biggest opponents of ‘Funderend Onderwijs’ as I was originally designed. The plans already existed when I became Minister of Education in 2006, before that in 2003, I was Minister of Traffic and Transport. The plans for ‘Funderend Onderwijs’ already existed since 2002 aimed at children from 4-15 years.
I should be remembered as the Minister that eliminated big parts of the original plans but only kept the name ‘Funderend Onderwijs’.

What was the original intention, before I changed it?

To have children from 4 – 15 years kept within the system of the primary school level. This was an extreme a-typical system. So all youth would be kept at the primary school level until it was 15 years old, with no sitters and Papiamentu was the only language of instruction to be used. After that the student would continue their secondary school level where MAVO would last 2 years, HAVO 3 years and VWO 4 years, creating in our educational system a unity sausage. I stopped that and added the 2 years of Kindergarten to the Primary school level so that it would last 8 years instead of 6 years. I believe that there should be a sound competition among students. As I became Minister, in my first meetings with the civil servants that had worked on ‘Funderend Onderwijs’ for 4 years, were not happy at all with the changes that I proposed. Oppositional forces started blaming me that I stopped LTS and this is considered to be a truth by those who don’t know the facts.

I also introduced multilingual education, anchored this in article 10 of the law, gave the school boards the authority to implement this policy, and left the government with the authority to inspect the quality of the education offered by the school boards based on the attainment targets the government formulates, with the subsidy of the government as an instrument. I also suggested re-certification of teachers every 5 years and if the teacher wouldn’t qualify, he or she can lose their license to teach. I am taking notice that some of late are making use of these possibilities in the law, which I consider a good sign.

The only thing that was left hanging in the air was the idea at the beginning of Funderend Onderwijs, to form two big modern technical centers, one on the Punda side and one on the Otrobanda side of the island. This would have been completed funded by the Netherlands. Technical education is experiential education.You have to see and experience it to learn it in the best way. As these centers never came to fruition because of the polarization of education due to school boards from different religious backgrounds, the technique has become a theoretical curriculum in the schools nowadays, without the technical facilities. So it is a pity that we never came to make these two modern technical centers. Which I sincerely regret because children have different talents some have great technical affinity and potential, and some are good at using their hands.

But I haven’t given up as yet, as I still dream that these two modern technical centers will come in due time.

Nowadays you are still very active in different boards of foundations, especially in the cultural and elderly care, can you expand on some of these functions?
To tell you the truth, when I left politics in 2017, I was planning to pick up my old hobby, namely the arts. I started designing again of furniture, called “poefs” and recliners, using recycled materials (bottles) as part of the so-called Blue Economy. I wanted to be back there. As you do this, you catch the idea of people that are part of a different bubble. I was invited to take photos as a model and in 2019 I was invited to become a board member of ‘Kura di Arte’, as they were looking for a “driver” to re-energize the foundation. So I accepted and further developed the concept whereby I focus on two target groups, seniors and youth that can’t afford to take classes, as art in Curaçao is a kind of elitist. These youths we recruit from the Boarding houses are youth that couldn’t stay at home and end up in a boarding house.

We offer our programs to them for free and also allow them to move freely to another branch of Art if they don’t like the one they choose initially. I know that lots of parents are unable to pay the fees to participate in Art classes, especially if you have more than one child.

The seniors I got involved with, as I have come to know that fall into a deep income gap as they stop working a job. Some can barely make their ends meet to live on.

Another issue seniors deal with is, that even if they are in a position where they can pay for their living, they feel that they are meaningless all of a sudden. It feels like they are being put aside and disconnected from lots of contacts.

These two issues for seniors I also want to address. That is why I started Art programs for 60-plussers.

I have done some research on the effects of dancing and the results of this research triggered me to start with line dancing courses. It slows down the aging process, dementia, balance disorders, etc… It has taken some time and nobody thought it would be possible to keep a group of seniors long enough involved. From 2019 on till today we have 125 participants (including one of 91 years old) spread over 4 days, on Tuesdays we are full and can’t afford to add anyone more to the group. Through line dancing, people use their minds and body which keeps fit.

We have had people that were almost unable to climb the stairs of Fort Nassau and after some months of practicing Line Dancing could rather easily climb these stairs, so it works and they have a lot of fun practicing this.

Another example is a senior that had difficulties walking and she has improved her walking a lot via practicing line-dancing.

Another art form we started, that isn’t very known yet among seniors, is percussion. These are mainly 15 women participants. In Africa, women do participate in drum circles. This strengthens their immune system and also helps them regulate their emotions and accelerates healing when people are sick. There are different ways that one can be challenged playing percussion and although it doesn’t seem to require so much physical effort, the participants are very active as they practice different patterns which helps them a lot.

Programs for our youth
We have 5 programs for the youth: singing, kwarta, dance, media, and percussion.
The singing part of the program is being offered by Steven Daniels. Kwarta by Renato Boerleider; Dance by Swindey Helm a young professional dance teacher and Media by Michael Ridderstaat, a former student of the program.

We finance the costs via money we collect from donations and subsidies from private funds or individuals. We don’t get subsidies from the government and this was a pre-condition before I could enter the board of ‘Kura di Arte’. I completely underwrite this principle btw.

In Curaçao, there is this concept that politics is the only way to reach the top of your abilities. Some join politics not because they have a mission in life but they think that they can gain some kind of political gain. That will benefit their development and success. These are also people that will never let politics go.

“I believe that the force of your successes and progress is related to your knowledge, skills level, and integrity”.

But I believe that the force of your successes and progress is related to your knowledge, skills level, and integrity. It depends on being able to love others and take action.

‘Kura di Arte’ is for me also a social entrepreneurial project. We are now focusing on getting Kortijn as our next venue. We are trying to polish our business model like we generate income from the different social entrepreneurs associated with ‘Kura di Arte’. There are more artists in Curaçao that are looking for affordable venues to rent. We can rent the location for people wanting to rent it. At Willibrodus College, we have one classroom that we use. This we rent it during the week to childcare organization as they don’t have their venue and we could use the income, as during the time slots that they use the classroom are not in use. We have one employee that is the operational manager, handles our finances, etc… In the future, we hope to expand these types of options further so that we can afford a bigger venue, whereby we all help each other in making the overall concept work.

The groups of the youth we keep them small 12 maximum per program, overall for all the 5 programs together group of 60 youngsters. They also have to participate in groups, and we don’t give individual classes because we want them to learn social skills. This is the same reason my mother started to send me out of house activities when I was 8 years old.

For singing and dance, we have reached the maximum.

In the media group, the youngsters decided to start a small company “Media Links” which functions as an incubator and they meet and use our facilities to offer products that they offer to pay customers. We encourage them.

“We as human beings are born to help others”.

What is your BIG WHY or driving motivation to be who you are right now and do what you are doing now?
I keep saying that we as human beings are born to help others. By helping others you help yourself. If you can’t make this connection with others, something inside of you dies out. Our slogan is: “Art to connect, connect to act”.

If you can’t see that, then something in your soul is damaged.

If someone is unable to receive the help of others, then something inside of you has died. Like this lady who is attending line dance, she told me that she told her children that if they were unable to look after her, she would withdraw from life and wait for her death.

To me taking care of my mother gives me so much fulfillment. She has been so supportive over the years when I was in politics, she would cook fresh food every single day. But I respect everybody’s philosophy, but this is not mine.

What are your plans for the coming years and when do you consider that you have been successful in your personal and business/professional life, let us say 5 years from now?
I am not working on my career but I am working on my mission. It was my mission that brought me into politics. Now that I have stopped with politics, I have taken up another mission as I am aiming to leave a legacy. It is this legacy that drives me.

That is why I wrote a book. I am working on my second book. I am also involved with Youth and Seniors. At times these youngsters would meet for longer than the planned morning hours and they would call and ask me if I could bring some food from them.

One of them asked me one day: Omayra why are you doing this with us? I answered this Youth:

“I want to help others so that others can also succeed. I hope that one day you will be helping others to that they can also become successful. I hope to enable this type of mindset and legacy in you as a youth.

What are the challenges that you are dealing with? And how are you dealing with these different challenges you confront?
My biggest challenge during my whole life is that I tend to walk too fast and this is what my opponents tell about me. Intending to demotivate me with those remarks, it works as a trigger for me to do even some more self-reflection. This self-reflection helps me greatly, as without it accidents would happen. This challenge has been a “torn in my flesh” during my whole life.

We want to have ‘Kura di Arte’ our venue if over 10 years from now we want o have achieved our goals. While we are working towards that goal, we encounter a lot of resistance. As I self-reflect, I meet people with that I can collaborate and with whom I can listen, and they show me the way to achieve our goals. So with a lit bit of wisdom and taking careful steps, we will ultimately reach our goals.

Do you use your inner voice to evaluate when dilemmas show up? How does that work for you?
I often have my inner dialogues. And I do a lot of self-reflection. As I do this, I listen to my Inner Voice. I deeply believe in GOD and this makes me also very conscious that it will turn out to be OK. I will arrive at where I want to be, that is what Faith gives me.

How are you trying also to keep up with your knowledge and skills levels?
I have a reading routine, I read at least 10 pages a day. I have had this since I was a child. I would doze off reading. When I was disciplined as a child I would be sent to my room and I need to put off the light in the room, which I did compliantly but as my room allowed light from the streetlights to shine in my room, I would continue reading. Until my younger sister told my mother this and that was the end of that story. Nowadays, I try not to overdo my reading. I also love to watch documentaries.

And I love to listen to the youth we have at ‘Kura di Arte’ from 15, 16 and one even of 17 years, as they talk among each other, just as a training. There is so much endless wisdom in what they discuss. In their so-called low IQ lies so much creativity and they have a lot of empathy, I have noticed.

What are your strengths?
Consistency and my “yes” is a “yes” and my “no” is a “no”.

Do you have hobbies or interests that you are also passionate about?
Reading, being physically active, of the four-line dance occasions during the week, I participate in three of them and I enjoy them to the fullest.

If you as Omayra would meet a stranger on the bus (let’s say in Miami or Bogota Columbia) and they would ask you to introduce yourself, what would you answer?
I will share something that happened as I was having a presentation at the Haagse Hoge School in The Hague. They asked me where does it come from to be such “a strong woman”. I told them, and it might sound very soft, that it comes out of love. Someone who doesn’t have love at its foundational core, can’t either love him or herself. Strength is derived from love. Maybe it is a coincidence but the abbreviation of my name stands for LOVE, namely Leeflang Omayra Victoria Elisabeth. My name is L.O.V.E.

How would you describe Omayra in one word or one sentence?
Let’s say how people perceive me to be: Too independent to trust.

Who are the persons that have inspired you the most in your career?
My mother and outside of my family there are so many.

What is a trait that is still a work in progress?
Some more patience and slowing down a bit. As I practice more self-reflection, this remains a work in progress.

What was a defining moment in your life?
When I was between 28 and 30 years old I decided for myself that I would stay single. I was going after my career and not choosing to get married and have children. My mother at that time regretted this a lot. Nowadays, she is telling me that she is glad that I am with her and living with her. If I had a family, she might have probably been in a nursing home. I decided to go after my mission in life and in hindsight I am very happy that I choose this path.

Another defining moment was the steps I took, because of my mother’s intervention, that changed me to transform from an introvert to an extravert through nurture.

Where do you want to be 10 years from now with your career?
I am ok as I am now. But as I am a missionary I want over 10 years that the projects that I am involved in right now are in a phase that I can hand it over to others, detaching myself from them. That they will be sufficiently inspired and competent to keep the projects going.

What would you want your Loved Ones, family, friends, and others to say about you let’s say 20 years from now?
I want them to say, “Omayra left enough behind so that others can be inspired to do something about it. She has published books about every Ministry she was involved in, with laws and regulations on the Ministry of Traffic and Transport, Education, Health and Social Development. She was a driven person that has left behind a legacy of books of every phase of her life. The last book she wrote was about her experiences as a politician”.

What makes you stay optimistic about the future of Curaçao as we are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, recession, and in the middle of growing environmental challenges because of the global warming consequences?
In the first place on a spiritual level, I am convinced that in each phase of our lives that there are persons that want to make the best out of the situation that they are in. I can see different positive bubbles at work on the island and what you and Miguel Goede are doing, is just such another bubble.

We are reaching the 4th and the 5th of May and I am also the chairperson of the committee Culture of Peace Curaçao and establish the tradition to celebrate the 5 of May in commemoration of peace after second world war. One of the projects of ‘Kura di Arte’ is to see Art as one of the sources of hope. If one is involved in doing something creative, then there is hope, even during the second world war this proved to be true. There are always forces aimed at recovery, even after such a devastating was the second world war, there was the Marshall plan afterward. Humanity harbors destructive forces, but also creative forces. One of the very positive forces for Curaçao is that we are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and that there always will be a helping hand reaching out to us, even though we don’t always accept this hand. People also approach me and ask me why I won’t continue my political career, but I answer by telling them that: “That part is over”. I can still influence policy in my unique way and not everybody can be involved with everything. Let the new generations, take that up.

One of the 250 Influencers of Curaçao

Omayra Leeflang is an energetic, outspoken, strong, creative and dedicated social entrepreneur, authorized several books and now enthusiastically involved in her latest missions as an NGO-representative. After spending years into the political arena, serving the country in different functions, she is now addressing certain challenges that lots of seniors are confronted with and she is helping some youth by offering training in different forms of Arts expressions. Being called “Too independent to be trusted”, Omayra is very clear in her opinions which didn’t always makes her popular, as her “Yes” is a “Yes” and her “No” is a “No”. Although people perceive her to be a strong woman, “Love” is the foundational core from where she acts from.

She firmly believes that we as human beings are born to help others. And if you can’t see that, then something in your soul is damaged. Now older and wiser, Omayra is accepting that some processes take time. She is rapidly learning to be patient, continues to self reflect whever she confronts resistance, listens better and attracts the right persons on her path, helping her to reach her goals. One of these goals being the expansion of Kura di Arte in the coming years, while also preparing a next generation of people to take over, so to make her legacy a sustainable one.

For all these reasons we deeply love and respect Omayra, and we consider her one of the 250 influencers of the islands representing the “Arts & Cultural, NGO-sector ”. Look at the list of the Influencers we have interviewed or reported on, up to now.

The goal of the core group of Share2Uplift for 2022

The goal of the Share2Uplift movement is to: “Identify 250 leaders from all walks of life to connect, align and create impactful changes in all walks of life, which includes intergenerational collaboration by the end of 2022.” We will use interviewing Influencers, meet-and-greet events, “train-the-trainers”-programs on “Emotional Mastery” and “Intentionality “as national intervention strategies, to reach this goal on top of our goal to scale up the possibilities to connect, align and create impact via a virtual platform. We believe that by collaborating with Miguel Goede on the virtual Vision 2030 platform, we will accelerate the possibilities to connect the diaspora and others elsewhere in the world and on the island willing to constructively create impactful changes in Curaçao, to join.

As Share2Uplift, we are fully trying to align with this thinking of Center for Curriculum Redesign to promote this agenda in our educational systems and workplace. So, in that sense, we fully support any initiative to make our educational system 21st-century proof.

Share2Uplift aligners are those that:
– Create an inspiring vision of the future;
– Motivate and inspire people to engage with that vision;
– Manage the delivery of the vision;
– Coach and build a team, so that it is more effective at achieving the vision.

These criteria are now being polished. We also consider these 5 values the most important ones for Share2Uplift aligners.
They are:
• Peace from within;
• Compassion;
• Respectfulness;
• Integrity;
• Responsibility.

As we will progress towards this goal, we will update you on the progress.

Next MYM-platform session via Zoom

Our next MYM-platform session will be on the 10th of May (the 2nd Tuesday of the month) via Zoom, where we will present the books ‘What happened to you?’ and the book ‘Pioniers van de welvaart ‘.

‘What Happened to You?’ will be presented by Ivan Kuster.

Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and ‘What Happened to You?’ provides powerful scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand.  “Through this lens we can build a renewed sense of personal self-worth and ultimately recalibrate our responses to circumstances, situations, and relationships. It is, in other words, the key to reshaping our very lives.”―Oprah Winfrey  This book is going to change the way you see your life. Have you ever wondered “Why did I do that?” or “Why can’t I just control my behavior?” Others may judge our reactions and think, “What’s wrong with that person?” When questioning our emotions, it’s easy to place the blame on ourselves; holding ourselves and those around us to an impossible standard. It’s time we started asking a different question. Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”  Here, Winfrey shares stories from her own past, understanding through experience the vulnerability that comes from facing trauma and adversity at a young age. In conversation throughout the book, she and Dr. Perry focus on understanding people, behavior, and ourselves. It’s a subtle but profound shift in our approach to trauma, and it’s one that allows us to understand our pasts in order to clear a path to our future―opening the door to resilience and healing in a proven, powerful way. ‘What happened to you?’ will be presented by Ivan Kuster.

Pioniers van de welvaart will be presented by Miguel Goede.
In ‘Pioniers van de nieuwe welvaart’ gaan Kees Klomp en Nadine Maarhuis dieper in op de betekeniseconomie, die alsmaar groeit. Ondernemers als Tony’s Chocolonely, Dopper en De Vegetarische Slager zijn succesvol bij een groot publiek en in alle hoeken van de samenleving is belangstelling voor ondernemers met een maatschappelijke missie.Maar een financieel gezonde business runnen die tegelijk sociale en ecologische meerwaarde creëert is niet altijd gemakkelijk. Welke dilemma’s ervaren de pioniers van de nieuwe welvaart bij het bouwen van hun missiegedreven bedrijven? En hoe tackelen ze die?In dit boek vertellen impactondernemers openhartig over hun pieken en dalen en delen ze de lessen uit hun praktijk. Parallel daaraan schetsen Klomp en Maarhuis de essentiële elementen van de betekeniseconomie. Dit boek is daarom verplichte kost voor beginnende én groeiende pioniers – maar ook voor leiders in gevestigde bedrijven die de omslag naar maatschappelijke impact willen maken.

‘Pioniers van de welvaart’ will be presented by Miguel Goede.

Date: 10th of May Time: 7.00 – 9.00 PM Entrance fee: Free

Subscribe by emailing us: sixtaivan@gmail.com and we will send you the Zoom link so that you can participate in our presentation of this book.

New workshop of 15 weeks in Papiamentu on Emotions Personal Journey 13
Starting 14th of May 2022

Gran majoría di nos komo ser humano, ta pasando diariamente den un fluho konstante di diferente pensamentu i emoshonan. Esaki ta konta mas aún awor ku nos ta den e gara di COVID-19. Emoshon ta nos kompas interno. No tin emoshon malu ni bon, emoshonan tei pa guía. Nos tin ku atende ku nan i no neglishá, reprimí ni suprimí nan, pa nan no kausa efektonan negativo despues ku ta inesperá. Emoshonan por ta un insentivo pa nos desarojá e potenshal inlimitá ku kada un di nos tin komo persona.

Nos ke yudabo den desarojá esaki, dor di ofresé bo un “personal journey” di 15 siman:
• maestría di bo emoshonan;
• kon di deshasí di emoshonan atrapá;
• biba un bida mas intenshonalmente;
• skucha bo intuishon mas mihó pa asina bo por ta mas kreativo i
• kon di laga loke bo a sinja bira un kustumber i transformabo komo persona.

Tuma kontakto ku un di nos ku ta e 3 fasilitadornan pa inskribi for di tempran:

Haydee Hermans Soul Garden na telefón: 5639848. E-mail: soulgardenCuraçao
O’dennis Daal Master Your Mind na telefón: 5130409. E-mail: odennis.daal@mymcur.com
Ivan Kuster Uplifting BV na telefón: 6986437. E-mail: ivan@upliftingCuraçao.com or sixtaivan@share2uplift.

Personal Coaching tips

We will share some short videos based on “Activities for seniors, benefits of a bilingual brain and Vocational Training”. We will upload one of these videos every day on our facebook.com/share2uplift page

Seniors Resource Center Line Dancing – YouTube