It started with a telephone call about keeping quiet about what you are going to hear. Keep it a secret. Don’t talk with anyone about it. It is about Mia who has been recommended for a royal distinction. Without any hesitation you think she deserves it, obviously assuming that the distinction is for her exceptional merits for Teachers4Teachers. And so it proves. You are requested to be at parking lot on a specific day, 26th April, near Mia’s house. There, the mayor will join you and the others to proceed in procession to fulfill the honour of attending the presentation of a Royal distinction.
How distinctive should one be to receive a Royal distinction? In Mia’s case: by devoting yourself intensively and selflessly to the improvement of education in Kenya and in The Netherlands, after you have taken the initiative fifteen years ago to meet and connect each other as equal partners in education to learn together for a better future. For the sake of the next generation.
Then the mayor rings the doorbell and moments later he enters the living room. Mia is petrified. It is the day before King’s Day, the day that many Dutch volunteers receive a distinction to honour their indispensible voluntary help to others. So almost immediately Mia understands what is at stake. But between almost immediately and immediately there is a knot of emotions. The mayor announces why he has come and the reason why Mia is honoured with the Membership of the Order of Oranje-Nassau. Mia is not able to hide her tears. What a beautiful moment for this remarkable woman with so much passion for education for all. What a precious moment hearing the mayor express his high esteem for the achievements of Mia and Teachers4Teachers.
After the mayor has left, together we reflect in excitement about what has just happened. We admire the Medal of the Order, but most of all we admire the woman wearing it.
On my way home, I think about the significance of the distinction. By honouring Mia for what she achieved with
Teachers4Teacher we are all honoured in our efforts for this valuable course, whether we live in Kenya or in The Netherlands. We should add a crown to the label of Teachers4Teachers. Because from now on we have Royal Approval!
Dick de Groot
Reunion 15 years T4T
In honor of 15 years of existence of Teachers4teachers a wonderful reunion was organized in the Afrikamuseum in Holland at April 21. About 75 teachers and head teachers, who visited Kenya during these years were present and enjoyed the speeches of chairman Jan van Aert and Sara Kinsbergen, researcher of private development initiatives at the Radboud University in Nijmegen. Sara emphasized especially on the importance of cooperation with local government and other local partners, although it is not always easy. That is exactly what T4T is trying to do all 
the time. She complimented T4T with the good work in Kenya and Holland and the results until now and also because it is one of the four organisations (of 40) known by the local authorities.
The participants also enjoyed to meet and connect again, the body percussion and last but not least the performance of Tarumbeta Africa group
Ruud Musman