Name: Josephine Damstra
Age: 26
Country: Nederland
Study background: MA International Relations
Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-damstra/
About me:
Hi there! My name is Josephine, I'm 26 years old and currently living in The Hague. I have a Master degree in International Relations and after a 6-month internship at the Netherlands Embassy in Sri Lanka, I started to work at a social enterprise called C-Change. Here, I've learned a lot about social entrepreneurship, innovative finance and the role of the private sector in sustainable development and I hope to leverage this knowledge during the NBC. I love to travel, read books that inspire me and give me new insights and ideas, do pilates or go indoor climbing (or outdoor climbing whenever I'm in a country with mountains! Given that we don't have any here in the Netherlands...) and always enjoy drinking a beer with friends.
Why I participate:
My work at the social enterprise C-Change made me passionate about social entrepreneurship and the potential of market-based solutions to address global challenges. It excites me that this case would allow me to work concretely on finding a market-based solution to one of the major challenges in Ghana: affordable housing. As such, I believe the NBC is a great way to further practical experiences in the field of business and sustainability. Additionally, I love to meet new people, discover new cultures and ideas and to learn from one another by working together. I think the NBC is an amazing and unique way of doing so!
Goals:
Getting to a realistic and practical solution to implement Tempohousings' concept of modular, low cost, self-contained and sustainable housing across Ghana, that is truly accessible and realistic to Ghanaians with the lowest incomes. For me, the most important part is to use a design-thinking approach to really make sure that we come up with a solution that works for the people we want to serve.