Interview Kintan
Welcome to the first interview of our miniseries about Little Leaders Foundation! In our first interview we will be getting to know LLF’s co-founding president: Kintan van Leeuwen.
LLF: Hi! Could you give us a brief introduction of who you are?
Kintan: “Hallo! My name is Kintan, and I am 21 years old. I am studying to become a registered nurse at University Leiden. I also work as a district nurse on the weekends. Everything is online these days, so I spend most of my time at home. My hobby is working for Little Leaders, which I pretty much do 24/7!”
LLF: What kind of activities do you perform for Little Leaders Foundation?
Kintan: “Formally, I am assigned as board member and president of Little Leaders Foundation. The tasks involved are difficult to describe, as we do almost all of the work ourselves. Technically, we - Kintan and Elisah - are the entire engine behind the foundation. We keep everything running. If we do nothing for two days, then literally nothing happens.”
LLF: Who is your biggest inspiration? Is there someone you really look up to?
Kintan: “I really look up to people that have won the Nobel Peace prize, particularly young people like Malala Yousafzai. I also find Greta Thunberg and Florence Nightingale very inspiring. For the people that do not know her: Florence Nightingale basically founded the teachings and school for nursing. I admire people like them. My main source of inspiration comes from women who chase their dreams, think 'out of the box', and actually are ahead of the times they live in.”
LLF: Do you think education is important and why?
Kintan: “I think that education is the most powerful tool one can give to a child. Especially in times of COVID-19 the impact of children staying at home is really being felt globally. Not only are children missing out on classes that should stimulate their development, children are also missing out on their friendships. That’s without mentioning the 1 out of 5 children that do not have a stable or safe home environment. For whom it is impossible to study remotely or even enjoy the benefits of being a child. Hence, I view education as a necessary aspect of childhood. ”
LLF: What do you think education should bring to a human life in terms of its content or its effects on people?
Kintan: “That's a tricky question! I think, an education shouldn’t really determine what one ends up doing for the rest of their lives, rather an education should provide you with the tools on how to get there.”
LLF: How does your personal experience with education relate to LLF?
Kintan: “Every time that we are able to finance another child's education, I am hopeful for them to have a similar experience to mine. Besides wanting for those children to excel academically, the school environment is also a beautiful opportunity for people to make long lasting friendships. At school, children also learn how to interact in social environments.”
LLF: Where do you think a child has the best chances for a successful academic school career and why?
Kintan: “Geographically, I think in a country such as the Netherlands. In the Netherlands we have free education, and a legal obligation of staying in school until we turn 18 years old. When one drops out sooner than that, you get all sorts of institutions that analyse the home situation and ensure that the child is being taken care of. Thus, the Dutch school system provides stability and safety to students that might not have this at home. ”
LLF: What has been your motivation to found Little Leaders Foundation?
Kintan: “I think my passion for charity work stems from my cultural background. My mother is from Indonesia and we have been to Indonesia numerous times to visit family. Each time I visited Indonesia, a metaphorical mirror was held up to me and showed me what my life could have been like. Internet connection, clean tap water or good education is not as accessible as we are used to in Europe. With that said, my parents always thought it was very important for me to achieve well in school. My mom always saw it as the opportunity for me to achieve what she couldn’t. Being an immigrant in the Netherlands, my mother always felt the effects of the barriers set because of her different origins.”
LLF: What do you want to achieve on a personal level with Little Leaders Foundation?
Kintan: “In the long run I hope to make this my full-time job. I know that performing this kind of work will make me the happiest. Even though we only have been able to sponsor 22 children this year, every time that we do get the chance to help another child, it makes us so grateful and excited! As a short term goal we would like to expand our reach into Indonesia and possibly Latin America with the help of my friend Tara Flynn (our future FRA).”
LLF: Did you used to feel like a "Little Leader" when you were younger?
Kintan: “I still do!”
LLF: Any final message to our readers?
Kintan: “My heart tells me that one day we will be able to live in the world we want to create for ourselves. But rather than waiting for our ‘houses’ to stop burning down, I believe it is up to ourselves to make the change that we would like to see in our world. To me this change starts within ourselves, and I’m very proud to be able to help our future leaders flourish.”
