Who are We?
Our Vision
The Cornerstone Foundation’s vision is for people to be able to earn their own incomes in order to escape from the spiral of poverty. Also, that they live in harmony with themselves, others, their environment, and their creator.
Mission
As a foundation, we initiate or support reconciliation projects, and help start income-raising projects in the South and East of the world.
We make it possible for (young) people to follow an education or training, so that they become self-sufficient.
We also highlight distressing situations in order to raise awareness and help. We send people out, and support them in starting projects in the South and East.
We have a special focus for the coming years: training young people in hospitality in Rwanda and in other developing countries, where this sector is growing, so that they can gain a dignified place in society.
We aim to support our partners in the projects that are already being carried out, and to help them develop through product design, advice, fundraising and training.
The Board
Norman
Halsall
Chairman
Years spent in music, theatre, radio, television and live presentations, have left their mark on Norman.
Add to this habitual creativity, a natural rapport with technology, a deductive mind,
and contagious enthusiasm. Norman is someone who really enjoys dealing with people.
Norman has a deep passion to empower the vulnerable, and has been Chairman of the Cornerstone Foundation since its inception.
Justin
Halsall
Secretary
Justin has a passion for technology and development, and is founder of Record Once. He can often be found as moderator of technical conferences, pitching events and hackathons.
He serves as secretary for the Cornerstone Foundation, working mainly in an advisory support role.
Zita
Kooistra
Treasurer
Zita works in education. She teaches drawing and art history at a high school. She met The Cornerstone Foundation through the Utrecht Vineyard Fellowship. She was touched by their projects in Rwanda, a country that had earlier come to her attention. In recent years she has greatly assisted in the development of education for disadvantaged young women, through The Great Escape.
Zita was asked to sit on the board in 2019, and fulfils the role of treasurer with pleasure and enthusiasm.
Margrietha Bor
General board member
Margrietha has been involved as a board member of the Cornerstone Foundation for about five years. She believes that it is important to be able to contribute something to young people in a country like Rwanda. She is convinced that practical education is the way for them to provide for their own livelihood in the short term.
As a general board member, she provides positive criticism of the project plans and business operations. She also helps with the fundraising.
other Team Members
ShirLey
Hutter
Program funding officer
Shirley has been involved in helping women in Rwanda for many years. This started when she met a refugee who wanted to do something for women in her network. It was remarkable that, at that time, shirley had just received a desire to mean something to people in Africa who are facing difficulties.
Since that time she has learned much, and always applies this to the projects. Recently she started a Masters in Community Development at the HU, where she can also apply many of her lessons learned from development work.
Peter
van de Berg
Financial
expert
In 1989 Peter worked for the first time ‘across the border’ in Cameroon at the Credit Union League (Raiffeisenbank). This was an experience that made a lasting impression on him in terms of work, music, colours and people.
The unequal distribution of opportunities for many, on this and other continents, requires continued attention and commitment – hence his commitment to The Cornerstone Foundation.
Liset
De Klerck
Managing
Director
‘The Great Escape’
Liset started as volunteer with an organisation in Kenya in 2014, followed by adventures in different parts of Africa. In 2017 she travelled to Rwanda, and later became Managing Director of The Great Escape in Kigali.
She believes it is important that people learn a trade in order to take care of themselves and their family; develop competences, life skills and talents through the right training. Liset believes that we can learn much from each other, and that by working together we grow, and grow stronger.
MAYA
JOHN
COMMUNICATIons
Maya joined us as a volunteer in 2017. She has a passion for communication, and uses her talent to create our quarterly newsletter.
She likes to tell the story of how The Great Escape and other projects help Rwanda’s vulnerable youth heal from the country’s tragic past, and find a place in society.
MArlien
van der Welle
Web site
Marlien joined the Cornerstone Foundation, during her studies in International Development. She started as an intern, researching the Cows4Peace project and assisted in the filming of Sylvestre’s Story. During the few months in Rwanda she became very impressed with both the vital work of reconciliation and the beautiful country.
She has continued to follow the work of the Cornerstone Foundation all these years and is now active again: this time responsible for the website.
Our PArtners
