I am Henro Veijer, a father of two fantastic children who are currently in the pubescent phase of their lives. My daughter is a creative person with a vivid imagination, while my son has a passion for screens. Together with my wife, the mother of our children, we form a close-knit family. Our house is completed by Salke, our Frisian stabij, who is a loved and valuable member of our family.

Born and raised in Staphorst, I spent much of my childhood in the area of Meppel and Wanneperveen. My education as a TV journalist in Zwolle coincided with the rise of commercial television in the Netherlands. Although I knew at the age of 14 that I wanted to be a journalist, during these changes I realized that this new media landscape was not the way I wanted to build my life. This was a difficult decision, since all this time I stood with my heart at this dream.

After a period as an animation director in hotels on Mallorca, I realized that I wanted to do something with more depth and meaning. This brought me to the IT world, an area where my hobby had been in for a long time. What started as a short job in Enschede through a secondment, grew into a stay of two years, after which I decided to continue living in Twente. I feel at home here and I don't want to leave, unless we would ever move to Norway.

During this period, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which had probably been in development for several years. After an operation and an intensive period of recovery, I came back well. Although it was a tough time at the time, I couldn't really think about its impact until later. Fortunately, I survived without permanent damage. It was a tough moment in my life, but I didn't realize it until it was over.

In addition to my family and work, I have been active in the board of the local branch of GroenLinks and I have served as campaign manager for the municipal elections in 2021. I hope to return to this role someday, because I strongly believe in a sustainable and social way of life. I also try to build bridges between different groups in society, because I believe that understanding and understanding are more important than quick judgments.

An important example of our involvement is that we took care of a mother and daughter from Ukraine for a year. This was a time when we not only provided physical support, but also emotional support to a family affected by war and insecurity. This experience has made us even stronger as a family and has shown us how important it is to stand with open arms for others in need. It shows that my family is fortunately kind-hearted in life, always ready to contribute to a better world.

These experiences have strengthened my belief that the world is not black or white, right or wrong. I always try to bridge the gap between left and right, between different opinions and backgrounds. Judging people is very easy, but understanding and understanding are a lot more difficult. This is a challenge that I like to take up, because I believe that mutual understanding is the basis for a better society.

Recently I joined Toastmasters Twente, where I can further develop my passion for speaking and presenting. It is a place where I can learn to convey my vision and where I have a lot of fun. I enjoy the opportunity to learn how to effectively propagate my ideas and how to inspire others.

I am particularly proud of my wife, who recently quit her job in healthcare to retrain as a social science teacher. Given my own interest in education, I can't help but be jealous of her and admire her courage and dedication. Her decision to take a new direction is an inspiration to me and I fully support her in this step.