"You don't have to be rich to be influential."

 "Three years ago, my kids and I sat in the front row at a theater tour of Dutch writer Jan Terlouw.  'We are living on the pittance of our children's future and therefore we must cherish the earth and everything that grows, flourishes and lives on it,' he spoke. Terlouw stood up, ignored the adults and gave my children a firm hand. He said he was proud that they were there and willing to listen."

Bianca de Bree tells this anecdote because it sums up very well what she stands for: we need to be more concerned with the well-being of the new generation. "While working in Youth Care, I was confronted with the fact that children's rights are often not respected. Since my children are on earth, I feel extra responsible for how we work towards the future. And taking responsibility can be at micro, meso and macro levels, so choices abound."

Circular thinking

The choice to support PlusPlus projects fits very well within the principles of the 47-year-old Breda resident. "You don't have to be rich at all to have an impact. In fact, learning to share gives you a lot back. And you learn to think and move circularly." Bianca has a taste for it. "I put a little bit in many projects. I now have 2 completed projects from which the money has been repaid, 19 ongoing projects and 4 projects that have not yet started."

Trust

One of the companies that appeals to her is ARO Innovation. The Ugandan company buys honey from local farmers. "On a micro level, I try to do my little part myself by taking care of three hives. After all, bees are very important in the whole thing." Bianca doesn't follow all the stories of the ongoing projects; there are many. "But the sustainability appeals to me and I have faith in the platform and the professionals behind it. I put some money away in a project, and then I can let it go."

Influence

"Many people think they have no influence. But everyone can share. You don't have to have a lot for that," Bianca believes. She herself is certainly not the richest, but she likes to show that you can be of great significance to society.

"Now that war has broken out in Ukraine, we see how dependent we are on links in the rest of the world. Think energy, grain, stuff. That's why global support is important. Our proverbial drop in the bucket can make a real difference on the other side of the world. We need each other. After all, there is no planet b."  

Party for the Animals

Bianca is also actively involved on many fronts at the local level. As a member of the Dutch ‘Party for the Animals’, she was on the electoral list in last year's municipal elections. "It is not a party made up of negative activists, but much more of educated people who want to use their expertise to make a difference. I like to commit myself with them to better welfare and less consumption. Above all, let's share fairly and encourage where it is even more needed. "

Children

Bianca always tried to involve her children in little projects close to home. "I gave lessons on nutrition (kid proof) and children's rights. We became donors to turtle Henk, to the Faunawatch Foundation, we adopted chickens and put money into a vegetarian factory for meat substitutes. Now I am older and physically less strong and take a step back. The new generation has many great ideas and as you notice around you, all kinds of things are getting off the ground. 

Despite high inflation, Bianca thinks it's best to keep supporting PlusPlus projects. “Money disappears quickly enough; if you put it into a project, it serves like a kind of piggy bank. Besides, I think we could do with a little less. You can always pull on an extra blanket. For myself at least, I don't need much. Even though I do like to eat organic."