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local Wednesday 24 May 2023
Megan Rojer: “Volunteer work needs to be done from the heart”

ORANJESTAD – Megan Ro- unteer at Aru Coder Dojo,
jer has different facets to her a computer club for kids
life: entrepreneur, model, at the National Library of
actress and volunteer at Aruba once a month. She
various foundations, among also participates in other
which, Nine Lives Aruba projects for artists in need,
Foundation dedicated to like ArtFashion, in the pro-
the rescue of cats. She says duction of a short film called
that help is always welcome “Bis’e of no bis’e” (To tell or
at a foundation. not to tell), in video shoot for
clothing brands, and tour
Rojer was born in the United companies, among others.
States, but from a young
age her parents brought her She considers that “volun-
to Aruba and she was raised teer work is something that
here. She completed sec- needs to be done from the
ondary school (HAVO) and heart” without expecting teer has helped her develop
decided to find her way at anything in return. “The per- as a person as well, some-
first in the Netherlands and son is supposed to have a one who doesn’t under-
then in the United States, good heart, and when you stand that there are people
where she completed her commit to something, you who mistreat animals. “Just
bachelor’s degree in The- have to do it 100%. I have feel compassion, for others,
atre Arts & Creative Writing been in situations where for animals. The foundations
and began working in mar- people are supposed to are always the ones in most
keting. help in a project or as a vol- need of help, and regard-
unteer and they just leave ing this, Nine Lives is always
Currently she is focused on and you’re left with the at full capacity for foster-
her own company, Floria work of two people. You’re ing cats. They always need
Creative House, where she doing it to help the group, more people to foster and
assists other businesses and but don’t let people down. help is always welcome.
projects with their creative If you want to volunteer do If someone is interested in
development and market- it all the way.” helping and doesn’t know
ing strategies. “If it’s some- how to start, just contact the
thing creative I love it. I like From her time in Nine Lives foundations.”
having creativity in my life Aruba Foundation, what she
and helping people de- likes the most are the cats, In closing, Rojer has a mes-
velop in this area, guiding which are her favorite ani- sage to our readers: “Life
them in the right direction mal. She also enjoys spend- will always have its ups and
with their project to make it ing time with the other mem- downs and I think it is super
more attractive and more bers of the foundation, who important for you as a per-
beautiful,” she says. are “amazing. They have son to remember to prioritize
their strong character, but your mental health through-
Aside from always being all for a good cause and I out your journey. This can
present in creativity, Rojer like that. Nine Lives Aruba mean to be aware of the
also serves as a volunteer Foundation is the only foun- people close to you that
at different organizations, dation focused on cats, if you consider your support
one aspect of her life that I’m not mistaken, they res- system, time to properly un-
began when she was a cue, foster, and I always feel wind and de-stress, and also
teenager and belonged bad that people leave the to do fun things that make
to the International Order street cats forgotten,” Rojer you laugh. You achieve a
of the Rainbow for Girls, a said. lot more when your men-
non-profit international or- tal health is well taken care
ganization for service and She feels that being a volun- of.”q
leadership for young girls
in Aruba. “There I was intro-
duced to the world of volun-
teering and I liked it. When
I do it I feel really good that I can help people one way or another, or help a cause
like animals,” Rojer said.

She has been a volunteer
at Nine Lives Aruba Founda-
tion since 2019. The founda-
tion is dedicated to saving
the life of street cats, and
sometimes they also rescue
some dogs. They promote
the humane treatment of
animals to prevent cruelty
and abandonment.

She also tells us that she vol-