Meet Ferdi Van den Bergh, co-founder of Tjeko (Outreach for kids in Uganda)

Ferdi and Tatiana Van den Bergh

Ferdi Van den Bergh is the co-founder of Tjeko (operating in Uganda, East Africa) and Chairman of the Board of the Tjeko Foundation. He first went to Uganda as part of a Youth With a Mission team before coming to New York City to work for MetroWorld Child for eight years. He met his wife, Tatiana, while at Metro. Eventually, Ferdi went back to Uganda with Tatiana and their first child, Maëlle.

 

Tell Us About Tjeko’s Mission

Our website has the statement: “Every child deserves a childhood.”

That’s the mission of Tjeko. We’re a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for children in Uganda to play.

It sounds like a very simple mission. But there are nearly 18 million children living in Uganda, and most of them have no consistent playtime.

When we went back to Uganda, I made a good friend there who was honest and had a passion for children. Bosco Muiibi turned out to be a lifelong friend and co-founder.

We eventually set up a non-profit to operate a sponsorship program helping orphans get placed with extended families.

At the time, there was not much for children in the way of creative play in Uganda.  One day at an orphanage we noticed kids standing outside, watching the children inside the orphanage playing. That didn’t seem to make sense. So, we decided, why don’t we create an amazing place for children to play so they can grow up to become more resilient adults?

 

Why Is Playing  So Important for Children?

God is the Creator. God spoke everything into existence. If we’re made in God’s image, that means that there’s an element of the creator in us. Without this creative energy you have a very dull generation. We need to be able to play and laugh with our children.

Tjeko’s website goes deeper with this thought: “There are 17.9 million children living in Uganda: Most of the children go to school from eight to five. When they come home they have to contribute and fulfill their chores/tasks like fetching water, taking care of a younger brother or sister…in essence, they do not have a lot of time to spare. 

 

Added to that is the fact that in most areas, playgrounds or areas for recreation especially for children, do not exist and children have to make their own toys (which also break easily). In Uganda, playing is a luxury, Tjeko wants it to become something that goes without saying – a “matter of fact”. Children should be able to just be children. That is why we provide them with a safe place, a sparkling environment, where they can do what they want to do the most: play!”

 

How Has Tjeko Grown in the Past 10 Years?

In the beginning, we concentrated on one location for three years, partnering with local residents to run the program. Then, we began to replicate this template and brought it to other locations. By the end of this year, we hope to have fifteen staff and maybe double that by the end of 2022, working in seven different regions of Uganda.

In the beginning, our first team of young adults working with Tjeko were all Christian, but that isn’t currently the case. At each location we make an effort to hire local young adults to run Tjeko’s programs.

Tjeko programming consists of:

Tjeko Live

At primary schools in Africa we are active with a series of teaching programs “The Power of Imagination and Creativity.” The Tjeko LIVE school program is supported by locally trained game and communication specialists. They visit schools and give them a series of lessons and activities. In addition, they offer teachers and childcare workers special workshops. 

Tjeko Academy

Tjeko not only wants to give people something, but also equips them. We consciously collaborate with organizations and individuals on-site. Through the Tjeko Academy, young adults in Africa are trained to lead the Fun Fair. They receive training in, among other things, child work, leadership, presentation and communication. In addition, Tjeko encourages them to work constructively on their future, and provides them with useful tools for this.

The Tjeko Academy is primarily intended to train skilled and enthusiastic supervisors. The young adults take the acquired knowledge and skills with them and also benefit from it outside the Fun Fair.

Tjeko Fun Fair

A gigantic playground where children can fully enjoy themselves for one day. Think of go-karts, skippy balls, trampolines, air cushions, but also theater, creativity and relaxation. Forms of play and fun that African children can usually only dream of. The children are led from activity to activity and play, laugh, learn and enjoy throughout the day.

Tjeko Fun Services

Tjeko Fun Services is the Social Enterprise part of Tjeko. Our local team rents out the Tjeko Fun materials and sets off for parties and events. With the rental of the materials, income is generated to pay for the Tjeko activities.

The Van den Bergh family

The goal is that every team grows towards more financial self-reliance.

 

Can You Describe Some of the Challenges Tjeko Has Faced?

Corruption in Africa, and across the world, is a big issue. When we started Tjeko, Tatiana and I wrote down principles for everyone who worked for Tjeko. No corruption was among those rules. It has helped use more than once to make the tough decisions!

Another challenge is that Uganda wasn’t a county until outside colonialists established it. Within Uganda there are sixty-four separate tribes that speak fifty different languages.

Whenever Tjeko goes to a different region we always start with interns who are local and speak the language. There are political and cultural differences among the seven regions where we have done programming. It’s really a beautiful thing when you can partner with  local people!

We also wanted to be sure that as the workers focused on helping the children that they would be making a decent living and supporting their own families. One of our elements in the Tjeko Methode facilitates our staff to generate income. There is a huge advantage to make people work for their own income: It gives them dignity and a deep-rooted motivation.

Do You Have Any Words of Wisdom to Offer?

Well, we need to be aware of the danger of having a colonial mindset, especially when working in another country. Thinking our way is best, or ignoring local customs. Servant leadership should be the standard of operation. Meaning respecting native culture and those who work with you.

Secondly, Pastor Bill Wilson, our former director at Metro World Child in New York,  used to say, “Don’t get illusioned, so you won’t get disillusioned.” Don’t have the illusion that your organization can’t get on without you. Even during Covid-19, our Tjeko team is doing well without Tatiana and I being in Uganda.

You can check out Tjeko's website here.