Page 11 - aruba-today-20220716

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LOCAL Saturday 16 July 2022
Director of Trampolin pa Trabou, Lionel Rumnit:

The continuous search for the balance between wellness and inde-

pendence for people with disabilities

“I am so happy with my what we do is protecting this area. He attended MTS
work as a job coach. The our clients.” in Aruba and then started
tension to achieve balance Most of their clients re- a work cycle at Utrechtse
between the needs of an ceive government assis- Werkbedrijven, a company
employer and the interest tance, which means they that is similar to Trampolin
of a person with a disabil- have small income guar- but on a bigger scale. And
ity fills me with energy”, is anteed, and if they must it was here where Rumnit
how Lionel Rumnit (55) from work more than 20 hours got his role as a job coach.
Trampolin pa Trabou sees per week, they would re- He is not a social worker,
his responsibility. ceive a salary above 500 and maybe for this reason,
Florins, which means they he is not focused solely on
These days, Rumnit feels would lose the government making sure to take care
that there is a current in the assistance. “This way they of people with disabilities,
air to recognize that people get the sense that they but on finding the practical
with disabilities can make a are contributing, earning way so that both the clients
big contribution in the labor something extra, but the and employer can be hap-
market. In any case, the in- 500 is also the level in which py with each other.
terest is coming from small- they have to start paying
er employment agencies, taxes. If they remain be- His work can bring happi-
which like Flexo, recognizes low it, there’s no problem.” ness many times, but also
an attractive market: that The objective of such an frustration. The big hap-
a person with a disabil- exercise is to improve the piness when Trampolin’s
ity might just be the worker quality of life of the person clients manage to get a
that a company needs, in another way than being stable job, but also the
seeing their wish to be as home. “The construction great frustration when for
independent as possible. through Trampolin is to give one reason or another they
“I receive a lot of requests, this group some sort of se- cannot find a space.
there are companies which curity, so that if they don’t Rumnit doesn’t blame
invite me to come speak to succeed in the labor sec- anyone, because the re-
them. A new café will open tor, they can always come ality is that it’s not an easy
at Cas di Cultura, and they back.” On the other hand, process. Aruba still doesn’t ployer provides. laws to give incentives to
approached me to see if Rumnit has noticed a de- have a system to reward employers to take in work-
clients from Trampolin pa velopment in the sense and motivate companies On the other hand, the em- ers with disabilities and
Trabou can get a job. All that the first group was to take in people with dis- ployer must be able to find make sure that there are
these are very interesting more insecure, and with abilities at work. And these the motivation, through a safe conditions for every-
conversations.” time, Trampolin’s clients are arrangements, which do law that stimulates it. one.
becoming more confident exist in the Netherlands Particularly because it takes
On the other hand, many in themselves to take a job. for example, are essential. time to make sure that Rumnit, who has his own
people believe that Tram- “Doors are open and most Rumnit doesn’t see the a person with disabilities family, has managed to
polin pa Trabou is also of them are ready for this. worth only for his clients to can find the right rhythm balance work and home.
some sort of employment And this is particularly after work, he understands also to function. “I worked in He can put the worries from
agency, and this belief is at Trampolin they discov- the challenge for the em- the Netherlands and I saw work aside to be present
also a little bit correct, ac- ered each of their talents.” ployer, a business owner how many people with dis- at home, and to be fresh
cording to Rumnit. “But on who needs people who abilities are employed. But every day to work with
a very small scale. We are Rumnit’s personal experi- can help the company in Aruba there is no incen- people who must be able
a small foundation, with a ence grow and prosper. In other tive and no motivation. to trust him. And perhaps
small administration which Lionel Rumnit knows what words, it’s not just about Many times a person with the challenges are big, but
cannot manage every de- it’s like to live with a person finding a job, but to make disabilities gets his financial what motivates Lionel Rum-
tail of personnel. But we with a disability. His sibling sure that both the client is aid and at the same time nit is the achievements of
manage to put people in was deaf. But he never protected and safe, with the message to not go to people like Lisa Tromp, who
jobs through Trampolin. But thought about working in the warrantees that an em- work, because they will even though she is blind,
lose it.” In other words, it is now works as a cook at
a system that supports itself. Sizzlers. Something that for
And here is where the laws many employers is hard to
should be change for this imagine, but only by giving
group, which is sizeable. an opportunity to people
Even though there are who want to show that they
no numbers available yet want to be self-sufficient
from the Census 2020, the despite challenges, the
numbers from 2010 speak balance can be achieved,
of seven thousand persons something that for Rumnit is
with disabilities who rely on so essential.
financial aid. “If we can
achieve that one third of “These are the experiences
this group gets a job, the that give me a lot of en-
government would save couragement to continuo
about 3 to 4 million florins with my own work”, Rumnit
each year.” In other words, says.
it’s common sense to make