Dutch tech entrepreneurs unite to provide aid for refugees

Three successful Dutch tech entrepreneurs have joined forces to aid those affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Ali Niknam (bunq), Joris Beckers (Picnic) and Robert Vis (MessageBird) have set up a foundation to shelter refugees fleeing the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

The People for People foundation was founded after bunq received an enormous amount of messages in response to a LinkedIn message that Niknam posted earlier this weekend.

The charitable initiative will help refugees from both Ukraine and Russia and is currently looking into the effectiveness of various support actions it can implement.

The foundation is already equipped to temporarily accommodate refugees in hotels and apartments in Bulgaria and Georgia where and when needed.

Additionally, People for People is looking into getting them into the Netherlands on a work visa. Large numbers of Dutch people also reached out to the foundation, offering to provide shelter to affected families.

“We received countless responses over the weekend; it’s truly heartwarming to see how the direst situations bring out the best in people.

“As a result, this initiative has quickly grown far bigger than we anticipated. To maximise its positive impact we joined forces with other Dutch entrepreneurs to establish People for People”, says Niknam.

Former CFO of TransIP Pieter Jan van Krevel will develop and oversee the foundation from his role as director.

All those affected or anyone who can provide shelter or wants to support the foundation can contact the organisation through the official website.