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The flag at our headquarters in Kabul was almost always at half-mast. A sign that a colleague had died. In addition, we were updated every morning about all the atrocities that took place a few (kilometers) meters away.
A moment I remember well: the tension during the rocket attacks on the ISAF headquarters. The air raid siren went off in mid-August 2008. It was the middle of the night and in our pajamas we ran to the nearest bunker. It was very surreal, I felt like I was in an action movie. I then surprised myself with how fast I could run. It is a moment when I realized how fragile freedom is and how important it is to protect it.
Now that I am a mother myself, the war retroactively affects me even more
Now that I am a mother myself, the war retroactively affects me even more. I've seen horrible things, like multiple babies crammed together in a makeshift, cramped incubator. I was still young in Afghanistan. I was more naive and was therefore able to keep my distance. In addition to my daily work, we tried to make a difference with small things. Such as delivering hugs and medicine to local hospitals. Even though a hug does not solve major problems, it turned out to be a bright spot on a dark day for a child.
To me, freedom means that you can think, say and do whatever you want. It also includes the ability to express your politics and express your opinions freely. In many parts of the world, freedom is still not self-evident and it is often only appreciated when that freedom is threatened. That's why you always have to keep fighting for it, in your own way.
When I returned to the Netherlands, I felt that I wanted to do something that mattered, with justice as a driving force. This eventually led me to provincial politics and then municipal politics. And also to the police (a second girl's dream come true). I agree with the explanation of former General Peter van Uhm, Commander of the Armed Forces, with his speech: 'Why I chose a gun'. As a soldier he chose the rifle as his instrument. And so everyone chooses their own instrument to fulfill the mission of creating a better world. In politics I choose words as an instrument.'
