NOMINADO DI CARIBE PA E PREMIONAN DI APPELTJES VAN ORANJE 2026 A WORDO ANUNCIA E FONDO ORANJE TA PONE ORGANISACIONNAN CU TA TACA POBREZA DEN SPOTLLIGHT

The Oranje Fonds has selected this year’s nominees for the Appeltje van Oranje award. Each year, the Fund presents these awards to three social organisations in the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. This year’s theme is ‘Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Together’. The Appeltjes will be presented by Queen Máxima to three winners on Thursday October 8th. The Caribbean nominees are Trampolin pa Trabao (Aruba) and Mega D Youth Foundation (St Eustatius). The other eight nominees are:

• Stichting Nu De Toekomst – Wageningen 
• Stichting Social Klus – Roosendaal 
• Armoedecoalitie – Utrecht 
• Get a Grip – Humanitas Eindhoven 
• Thuis in West – Krachtgezin Rotterdam 
• Stichting Doors Wide Open – Goor 
• Stek – Buurt en Lukas Den Haag 
• Stichting Spaarkracht (landelijk) 

Ten-day voting period and pitch day 

Fifty organisations were in the running for one of the ten nominations. The public decided on the first nominee during the ten-day online voting period in May. This was Stichting Social Klus, which received 3,400 of over 40,000 votes. The remaining contenders gathered in Curaçao and Groenekan during the pitch days. They presented their projects to each other and to a jury. The jury in Curaçao consisted of Etienne Ys (former politician), Glenn Thodé (board member of the Oranje Fonds) and Pablo Aguirre (staff member of the Oranje Fonds).  

Breaking the cycle of poverty together 

Poverty is a persistent problem in the Caribbean. Its impact is significant and affects health, opportunities and the ability to participate in society. One in three people in the Caribbean lives in poverty. Existing poverty policies are often complicated or insufficient, meaning people cannot find the support they need. Social initiatives are therefore essential in reducing and preventing poverty. They are close to the people, have their trust and offer the support that people need. 

For this edition of the Appeltjes van Oranje awards, the Oranje Fonds is looking for organisations that help break the cycle of poverty and debt in a sustainable way. These are organisations that empower people with knowledge and skills. An important criterion for the nomination of candidates is that the organisations aim to prevent or reduce poverty. 

The Appeltjes van Oranje 

With the Appeltjes van Oranje, the Oranje Fonds honours three initiatives that are committed to an inclusive and connected society. Initiatives that are unique, creative and meaningful, and have been active for at least two years, are eligible. The theme of the Appeltjes changes every year. The prize consists of a bronze statuette designed and created by Princess Beatrix and a cash prize of 25,000 euros. This money can be spent freely within the scope of the winning initiative’s objectives.