On October 13, 2015, right after his 90th birthday, Mr Koijmans passed away. Chairperson Carli Kooper visited him just before his passing, to say farewell and sing songs for him, something he always enjoyed. Mr Koijmans passed away peacefully and was buried in his family's grave, next to his parents. The Heliconia Scholarship Foundation has been in contact with Mr Koijmans and his business representative since 2012. Being born in Indonesia, Mr Koijmans had a special connection to the country. He was looking for a charity to donate his assets to, when he would no longer be here. The Heliconia Scholarship Foundation is the only charity in the Netherlands that has the exact same mission as Mr Koijmans had in mind: supporting tertiary education. Most charities focus on elementary and high school education only. Over the years, we have met each other frequently in Mr Koijmans retirement home. Since 2013 we were officially included in his will.
We are very grateful that Mr Koijmans has designated us to receive his inheritance. Thanks to him we can further professionalize and grow considerably. Thanks to Mr Koijmans many more youngsters will be able to study at university. We will always remember him!
At the request of Mr Koijmans, the legacy was put under administration for a period of five years, because he wanted to make sure that it will only be spent on the charity's mission. At least once a year until 2020, the board and the administrator will come together for consultation and to discuss the financial year reports.
Picture above: Carli presenting her master's research, which she devoted to the foundation, by researching the accessibility of higher education in Indonesia. Mr. Koijmans always wanted to stay up to date on the developments of the foundation. He also enjoyed receiving letters from the students, and chocolate bonbons!
Text below: a letter to Mr Koijmans from Psychology student Sherly.
January, 2015
Dear Mr Koijmans,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support in my study at the Faculty of Psychology, Tarumanagara University. Hello Mr Koijmans, how are you? I hope you are always healthy and happy. I will be entering my sixth semester at Psychology. I am now on vacation after completing the fifth semester, and will go back to school on 16 February 2015. During the holidays I spent time with my family. I also help at the shelter where I lived before. They made a show for Christmas and a memorial for the hundred year anniversary, so I helped them. I made some Indonesian traditional cakes and other food for the guests.
In the new semester, I will learn how to prepare for the final thesis and learn one of the specific branches within Psychology, psycho diagnostic. I already learned so much at university, not only from lectures and books, but also from the study environment and relationships with many people from different social backgrounds. I can now also share my college experiences to the children in the shelter, so that they can become better than me. Finally, thank you because you have become a very good person in my life. May your goodness get the best reward from God. Merry Christmas 2014 and Happy New Year 2015.
Sincerely,
Sherly
