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Amsterdam | May 13, 2025

Ton Picokrie: Hero from the very beginning

Intermediaries are the foundation of our fund. They are professionals involved in the education, upbringing, or support of children, and they are the eyes and ears of our fund in the city districts. These heroes know the families, know where visible and hidden poverty exists, and connect families with our fund. Especially for our anniversary year, we're interviewing our fund's very first hero: Ton Picokrie. 

I've always worked as an internal counselor at schools where many young people from vulnerable families gather. These include low educational levels, financial difficulties, cramped housing, and so on. I supervised an average group of 20 to 25 young people and their parents/guardians. I also regularly submitted applications to the Youth Fund for them.

After an application to the Youth Fund was approved, I always contacted the coach. I asked them to call me if the young person missed a few club appearances or if there were any other unusual circumstances, because usually, something is wrong. I believe personal contact is important, and it can be very valuable. For example, a coach once called me to say he'd seen signs of abuse while changing.

Many beautiful success stories

Like Robert (15 years old), who, due to circumstances, was temporarily living with his aunt. He didn't have a city pass, but there really wasn't any money. After I explained it to the Youth Fund, he was allowed to play football. After a few weeks, his mentor came to me and asked: 'What happened to Robert? He seems like a different boy.' That's how much of an impact the sport had on him. Then, against all odds, he got his diploma at school.

Or Sabrina, who was bullied in class because her classmates thought she smelled bad. It turned out the family didn't have the money for a daily shower or to buy personal care products. She joined a sports club and was able to shower there, and the bullying gradually stopped.

I recently received a message from Turkey, from Enver, whom I mentored for a while 15 years ago. He wanted to thank me for what I was able to do for him, with the help of the Youth Fund.

Changes in family problems

"The problems are getting bigger and more complex. You're now dealing with many more multiple issues within families: relationships, debt, institutional and psychological problems, and also war-related issues," he says.

In recent years, I've primarily been supporting Ukrainian refugees. One of them, Aleksandr, was on a train with his mother, on their way to a holiday in the Carpathian Mountains, when bombs fell all around them. The father called them to tell them the Russians had invaded and that they had to flee to Poland. Aleksandr never saw his home, animals, or friends again and now lives here with his mother in a shelter for Ukrainians in Amsterdam. Unbelievable, isn't it?

Sports and culture mean much more than just leisure activities

Playing sports makes children more confident and feel better about themselves. There's often a noticeable positive change in their home life as well. Children can safely go to a club and aren't stuck at home, crammed together, bored. The positive approach, a compliment from a coach or teammates, makes them feel more secure. They can clear their head and get a good feeling. I often hear from their mentor or psychologist that their well-being has improved after joining a (sports) club.

Ton's wishes for the future of the Youth Fund

I hope that many companies and individuals will continue to support the Youth Fund. Sports and culture are so important to the young people I've worked with. It's not a given in their families, and parents often can't take the lead, due to various circumstances, in getting them involved in sports or cultural activities.

I hope the intermediaries actively approach the children and don't just sit there waiting for the children to come to them, because then nothing happens.