The "'Be The Change' Foundation Of St. Maarten" Story

Click on image to enlarge.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about the Soldier of Orange Award that was awarded to Mélanie Choisy who co-founded the "Be The Change" Foundation with her Aunt Erika Cannegieter in May of 2012 on the island of St. Maarten.  When Erika tragically died of cancer a few years ago, her niece Choisy took over the reigns of the Foundation and has been simply amazing in carrying on the Mission and Ideals of the organization.  The "Be The Change's" mission is to encourage the St. Maarten community to actively contribute to various non-profit organizations and local causes.  This will be done by way of igniting a social philanthropic movement, hence making a united effort to change and improve life on the island.  

Erika Cannegieter, co-founder of "Be The Change."

Their website says they are all about joining forces and making things happen for our island's grassroots community initiatives.  The article that featured Mélanie was in the island's "The Daily Herald" newspaper and shows Mélanie receiving the 10th Annual Award in Holland.  She is only the second person from the Dutch Islands to receive the award.  

Mélanie Choisy, co-founder of "Be The Change"
and winner of the Soldier of Orange Award.

Every year, the Soldier of Orange Fund, which is part of the Oranje Fonds, awards young people for addressing a social problem within their community, just like the original Soldier of Orange (Soldaat van Oranje), Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, did in his day.  Every month the "Be The Change Foundation" selects an NGO project to raise money by means of crowd funding to support that project, or to create awareness within society of a variety of topics, such as poverty, culture and environment. After her Aunt passed, Mélanie started the Erika Cannegieter Educational Scholarship Fund, open for applications for financial support to young people who could use a helping hand during their studies.  The island of St. Maarten was devastated in 2017 by Hurricane Irma and Mélanie was responsible for helping with the distribution of drinking water and supplies for those in need.  She has become a local celebrity who is greatly loved and appreciated on Sint Maarten.  My wife, Carol, and I have known Erika Cannegieter's parents, Barbara and Dee, for many years and wish we would have had the chance to meet this wonderful young woman.  Her legacy lives on in her niece and all the work Erika and Mélanie did to start the "Be The Change" Foundation.  I'm sure that Erika would have been proud of what her niece has done, and is still doing, on the island of Sint Maarten.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.