Flying start with bollebozen campaign and digital skills
Bollebozen contributes financially to make JINC projects possible and makes bollers available as volunteers. The extensive collaboration is off to a flying start, because in December almost 6,000 children from partner schools in Mechelen, Antwerp and Brussels will receive a great reading package. In addition, bol is participating in the JINC project 'Digital Skills' at several schools next year. The first school has already started: 80 students from the third and fourth grades of the Mozaïek primary school in Borgerhout are learning to learn programming, computer language, algorithms and automation in a playful way under the guidance of bollers. The students of the 4th grade unanimously agreed: “The best part was working on the computer during the last lesson because we were able to really program for the first time. We're going to program all weekend!”

The collaboration between bollebozen and non-profit organization JINC is being expanded to Belgium. The partners have been working together since the beginning of 2022 to create equal opportunities for children in the Netherlands. From now on, they will also help children in Flemish neighborhoods with a socio-economic disadvantage to get a good start on the labor market. Bollebozen, an initiative of bol, is committed to promoting social equality by giving children more language knowledge and digital skills.

Equal opportunities
Koen van Roey, director of JINC Belgium: “Every child deserves a fair chance for the future. We try to give that to them, but we couldn't do that without our partners. We have been working with bol in the Netherlands for almost two years and I am very happy that we are now also starting this collaboration in Belgium. From experience in the Netherlands and the past 2 school years in Antwerp and Mechelen, we know that with our lightning internships and digital skills lessons we really make an impact on the children and thus plant a seed for a future. A future where the zip code of your place of residence does not determine your career path.”

Bram Vromans, Country Manager Belgium at bol: “Bol is the store for all of us and is at the heart of society. Together with the bright ones, we make a positive contribution to this by organizing activities and projects that combat inequality of opportunity among children in the Netherlands and Belgium. By expanding the collaboration with JINC, we increase our impact and make it in the right places, and now also in Belgium. This means that the children at schools that JINC collaborates with in Belgium could use a little more support with their language and digital skills.””