The similarity between Ans Markus, the Sandton Hotels and the Medical Knowledge Institute.

On September 17 this year something special will happen; the Sandton Hotels in the Netherlands will officially become the hospitality partners of the Medical Knowledge Institute.

The management of this unique hotel chain will join the Medical Knowledge Institute in its mission: Prevention through Education. At Sandton Hotels they believe in MKI’s fundamental principals that Healthcare Education and Information is indeed a human right and that no one should be deprived of that. One of MKI’s greatest supporters, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, is very excited about this new venture and has written a letter which I will proudly deliver on September 17 to Gui de Vries and Rogier Braakman, the founding fathers of the Sandton Hotels.

So what is Ans Markus’ role in all of this? For those how wonder who Ans Markus is: In one of the many books about Ans they write about “a phenomenon”. She is well known from television, the gossip magazines and the numerous interviews in newspapers and magazines. There are those among the general public who have forgotten why she became so famous that she has not only an incredibly famous face, but actually is a renowned painter. Already for twenty-five years. She produced more than 650 paintings. She depicts images of what she felt. No abstract ones, the most obvious, but of very realistic women, for instance a woman in bandages on a swing in the air. One of the ropes is starting to snap. How does that feel? Terrifying, insecure, powerless, lonely, wanting to find protection, constrained.

Ans Markus’s work is very much about what women feel. About vulnerability, freedom, communicating with others. So when Patricia Steur introduced me to Ans Markus and I told her about my dreams and hopes for the many unfortunate mothers and their children in Africa, she and I connected. In just a few moments a connection of a long term friendship and respect was born.

Now for the first time she is designing jewelry for YOELL®, the unique jewelry collection of the Medical Knowledge Institute handmade by HIV infected women in South Africa.

On September 17 Ans will present the first piece of jewelry named “Sandton” in honor of the relationship between the Sandton Hotels and the Medical Knowledge Institute. Last week I had the privilege to see this wonderful piece of jewelry, which I am not able to share with you yet. What I can share however is that Ans Markus has designed a dozen of the most beautiful pieces of new YOELL® jewelry. Our YOELL® ladies in South Africa are gearing up to start a new production.

Patricia; thank you for the gift: Ans Markus, an extremely kind and sympathetic lady ready to contribute a little to creating a better world.

Picture: together with Patricia Steur and Ans Markus

The summer soccer competition playing for MKI

For the last 5 years, Maarten Tuininga has been organizing a summer soccer competition between companies in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Staff of companies like KPN, Heineken, ABN/AMRO Bank and Google gather during the summer afternoons to play soccer against each other.

This has turned into a very serious competition event where companies now have to sign up and pay an entry fee to participate.
This year for instance, 40 companies signed up with more than 400 participants.

Maarten found out about the activities of the Medical Knowledge Institute and decided that he would donate part of the proceeds to the educational projects of MKI in Southern Africa.

My father joined me for the opening ceremony of the summer soccer competition which took place on June 4th. This past Saturday, July 25th the final game was played in Amsterdam.

Barbara Barend our Goodwill Ambassador, a television sport journalist was at hand to officially kick off the final game and later on to present the trophies to the winners of this year, KPN.

Many thanks to Maarten Tuininga who announced that MKI will once again be part of the good cause of next years summer soccer competition.

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Pictures: Together with Barbara Barend and Maarten Tuininga, the two final teams and below Barbara Barend at the official kick off.