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Interview: Nanda Leenders Shares her Experience as a Fellowship Host

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In 2024, Nanda Leenders hosted Humanity in Action Senior Fellow Joshua Allen for two weeks during his Fellowship in Amsterdam. Josh came to us from the United States and had a chance to experience Amsterdam in the most unique ways by staying with a local host. 

The bond they created surpassed both theirs and our expectations, making for not only a successful Fellowship experience, but also a wonderful stay and exchange.

We spoke to Nanda about what it was like to host Josh during his Fellowship.

Nanda and Josh at the 2024 Amsterdam Fellowship Closing Ceremony

Why did you choose to host a Fellow?

Ten years ago, we hosted an Amsterdam Fellow. Our daughter had just moved to Spain, so we had a spare room in the house. It just fit perfectly, so we said, why not? It was so fun, we did a lot of things together, like eating and playing games in the evenings. We kept in touch with the Fellow for quite a while, so that was really nice. This year [2024] we were asked again, and I thought: yes! Why not, since we had such a nice experience last time?

What did you get out of this experience?

You can have such nice conversations with the Fellows, especially now that we don’t have children at home anymore. It’s great to have input from someone from a different culture. This time, we had Josh from the U.S. It’s nice to host someone with a different cultural background and see what they’re busy with, what issues they care about, and their experience in the program. As my husband and I are in education, June is a busy period for us, but it’s not like you have to spend all the time together.

You also get a new perspective from the Fellow, because it’s not someone you would normally meet on the street or in your group of friends. It expands your world a little bit. 

What was a memorable moment?

For us as hosts, being invited to the Fellowship closing ceremony was very special. As we work in education, the ceremony touched on what we’re both busy with at work: education, theater, diversity… plus, it gave us a little insight into the other Fellows’ experiences from what they shared. For us, that was the highlight. 

What did hosting look like in practice?

Having Josh at home was very easy going. He sent us the program, so we knew what his days looked like. We texted when we had food ready, so he could eat with us, and sometimes he had plans and ate out with friends. We cleared up a shelf in our fridge for him, so he could have his own things, gave him a key so he could be more independent, and always texted about practical things. It was nice hosting because we had a spare room, but when we hosted the first time, our kids were still at home, and it was actually very exciting for them to have someone over.

Would you host a Fellow again?

Yes! We will also promote it in our network. Hosting gives you input in how Humanity in Action works, but also about Amnesty and other NGOs. It also encourages you to go see elements of the program like museums, tours…

It broadens your point of view and gives you insight into new things to do in your own city!

 

Interested in becoming a host to one of our Amsterdam Fellows? Find out more information about hosting here.