Femke Pluijm wins Gouden Meesterproef

ILS student Femke Pluijm developed a concept for the municipality of Tilburg as a graduation project, in which 'statushouders' are linked to a guide. She shows them the way in the world of aid organisations. She won the Golden Master's thesis, a prize for the best graduation thesis. She came up with the idea for the concept after her minor in the Brazilian city of Curitiba. There, together with fellow students, she came up with a concept for people living below the poverty line, in order to provide them with a safer life and to involve them more in social life. She then realised that in the Netherlands there are also people who have difficulties. She developed her concept for 'statushouders', refugees who now have a residence permit. Her graduation internship was held at Movisie, a research agency that focuses on social issues. 'They investigate how municipalities deal with statushouders. I had the opportunity to do that in Tilburg.' To map out the problem, she worked together with

the municipality, various district teams and statushouders. 'I liked having contact with all those groups', she looks back. Femke does not yet know whether her concept will be adopted.