Bo Altena (2020)

Mouad Ahdi of Study Association CS Ubuntu: “Few things seem to be a better match than Bo Altena and the world of humanitarian- and development aid. A UU-alumna in Conflict Studies & Human Rights, she pursued various internships during her studies, all related to the aforementioned field. In early 2017 she was a Programme and Grant Management intern at War Child, in 2018 she did her Master’s field research in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border, and by the end of 2018 she was following a half year internship at the Department of Stability and Humanitarian Aid of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this period she was also an active volunteer at the Red Cross Student Desk, where she focused on acquiring funds for humanitarian projects. Nowadays Bo works at the International Cooperation Agency of the Association for Netherlands Municipalities (VNG International), where she is involved with the organisation’s programmes in conflict-affected countries Sub-Saharan Africa. Bo believes that effective foreign aid should go beyond providing immediate relief during crises, and that local government and communities are essential in the provision of basic services and the strengthening of people’s resilience to deal with future crises.”