GIVING BACK CONTROL

The journey that changed everything

It was the year 2000, and my first global journey was about to begin. In September, I boarded a Singapore Airlines flight to Hong Kong and continued on to the Philippines. I was traveling with two good friends, and for several weeks, we were going to live with the local family of a friend.

The cultural differences were staggering—from cooking over an open fire indoors to witnessing the slaughter of a pig I had just petted with the neighborhood children. Naïvely, I had assumed it was their pet.

One night, a torrential downpour brought another shock. The aluminum roof plates created a deafening noise, making me truly believe the roof was about to collapse on me. These were just a few of the countless moments that imprinted in me the raw, unfiltered essence of basic living in Asia. But beyond these experiences, something even more profound struck me.

Making sense of being happy

People laughed. They had fun in what they did, and with us, even though their way of living was incredibly simple. They seemed very happy. In fact, they seemed happier than people in the Netherlands, where we had everything, right? While they, in many cases, had almost nothing. How was that possible? Something didn’t add up. I struggled to make sense of it. It took me a long time to reconcile this realization, but ultimately, it became the foundation of a pivotal choice: to pursue a fulfilling, purposeful life that makes me happy, rather than one that is expected of me.

Seeing these warm, kind, and caring people unable to afford schooling for their children touched me deeply. Together with two friends, I founded a charity, raised funds, and eventually enabled around ten children to attend school. Years later, two of these children secured good jobs and now support their own families. This is sustainable change—this is the kind of ‘giving back’ that truly fuels my passion.

Years later, with this sentiment and experience—coupled with over 20 years of professional expertise—I once again encountered a ‘giving back’ project. While researching a potential trip to Vietnam, I stumbled upon not one, but two organizations focused on helping youth. Their missions were twofold: first, the harrowing task of rescuing children who had been lured under false pretenses and forced into labor against their will; and second, providing education and vocational training for some of these rescued children, ensuring them guaranteed employment.

I knew I wanted to be part of this. But how?

In April 2024, I traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam, and met with the program director of the school and the two CEOs of the other organization. At the school, I had the opportunity to conduct finance workshops for the children. As a spin-off, I asked each of them to submit at least one question, which I answered in a handbook—something that could benefit future students as well.

At the rescue and rehabilitation organization—which has now grown to over 100 staff members—I found my added value in supporting the two CEOs, particularly in terms of organizational strategy and structuring the overwhelming range of tasks and responsibilities. This collaboration will continue via Teams, with the goal of making an annual trip to add value in person on-site.

This journey, from the Philippines in 2000 to Vietnam in 2024, is a testament to the power of real human connection. It has shown me that happiness isn’t tied to possessions but to purpose. It has reinforced my belief in sustainable impact and the ripple effect of giving back. And above all, it has solidified my commitment to choosing a life that makes me happy

My personal spirit of helping

With the same spirit of helping, I founded Controller for a Day. Through helping in a completely different way, CFAD helps businesses improve their financial and operational results. From my desire to help, I now found the way of bringing life changing help to underprivileged kids combined with my experience of helping structure and improve finance and operations.

Therefore, I chose to allocate part of my annual income directly to supporting these organizations. In essence this means that when YOU choose to let CFAD help your business thrive, YOU contribute to a sustainable future for children in need.

Do you want to know more?

Send me a message and we can talk about how you can contribute to this sustainable future of the next generation.

Joris van der Heijden
Training entrepreneurial skills by creating practical projects