Participant Perspective - Kuverua

Students taking part in the Council for Opportunity in Education Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program have been tasked with documenting one day out of their journey in The Hague, Netherlands.

Kuverua is a student at Minneapolis Community and Technical College and is a member of TRIO Student Support Services.

Blog Date:  July 14, 2019

The best part of my experience here in The Netherlands was when we went to Parliament. As part of our field trip we went with our Professor and there we met a gentleman who shared with us the Dutch history, politics and culture. It was interesting to learn that the Kings of Netherlands in the past had all authorities and power and later on they handed on the whole governing responsibility. Religion also played a crucial role in Dutch politics. Being an American citizen by birth and someone who was raised at Namibia, I never saw the insides of Congress or even the White House in America and here I am in The Hague learning the culture, history and politics. It’s just a privilege and an honor; I am humbled. 

We also visited Humanity House, hearing a story from a gentleman from Congo who came to Netherlands as a refugee. The suffering he went through to be where he is today was very inspiring. He reminded me of my own Dad, who went to the USA as a refugee from Namibia through Botswana.

In the future, when I am done with my studies, I am now thinking of working in world peace keeping organizations such as UN, AU, and SADC. What I have learned here has helped me to see things from a different perspective, or paradigm, as they say here in The Netherlands.