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Our Team

We are the team at Meldpunt voor Perspectief, committed to helping individuals from North Africa rebuild their futures. Through personalized case management, legal aid, healthcare support, and reintegration assistance, we address complex challenges with tailored solutions. Collaborating with local and international partners, we combine expertise and innovation to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we support.

Managing director and casemanager

Chafik Chennouf

Holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language & Culture and a master’s degree in Community Development, with a specialization in social designing shelters for undocumented individuals. Since 2006, Chafik has worked as a professional in the social domain for various organizations in Amsterdam, in both operational and management roles. In 2018, Chafik established a reporting and advisory center for radicalization at Arkin, a mental health institution with over 4,000 employees, aimed at supporting therapists dealing with clients at risk of radicalization. In 2020, as a coordinator at ASKV, Chafik contributed to the establishment of a shelter for undocumented individuals with psychiatric and/or somatic issues. In 2022, he conducted research on undocumented migrants from North Africa in the municipality of Utrecht and was also responsible for casemanagement for this target group. In this role, he worked closely with municipalities, government agencies, and the Moroccan Consulate in Utrecht. That same year, Chafik served as program manager at the Amsterdam Center for Undocumented Migrants, where he was responsible for the walk-in, intake, and screening of LVV participants in Amsterdam.

Casemanager

Sabrine Khouakhi

Trainer, coach, and moderator

Nizar El Manouzi

Is a versatile trainer, coach, and moderator, with a bachelor’s degree in medicine and philosophy, actor, presenter, and documentary filmmaker. He is known for his work on series like Mocro Maffia and programs such as Het Klokhuis, as well as his documentary Harrag, which is about young people from North Africa who migrate to Europe. Nizar has a unique ability to positively influence and motivate individuals to take meaningful steps towards improving their lives and perspectives. His experience as a documentary filmmaker has given him deep insights into the target audience, allowing him to understand the dynamics within this group. At Meldpunt voor Perspectief, Nizar serves as a coach and trainer for the target population, leading knowledge sessions and presentations.

Quality advisor

Fatima Essahsah

Holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology, with a specialization in the indigenous North African Amazigh traditions. Fatima has over 20 years of experience in community work, coaching young people from non-Western backgrounds, advising the municipality of Amsterdam on youth work, and setting up projects within major cultural institutions such as the Van Gogh Museum, the Centraal Museum, and the Tropenmuseum. With her background and experience, Fatima is the ideal person to take on the responsibility of the coordination, advisory, audits and monitoring. At Meldpunt voor Perspectief, Fatima oversees the quality of our services and the documentation of our methodologies.

Fieldworker

Nabil Benhaddou

Is a dedicated fieldworker with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and extensive experience within the mental health care sector in the Utrecht region. Over the years, he has built a strong foundation in supporting vulnerable populations, particularly through his work as a social worker at organisations like Leger des Heils and RIBW Alliantie. Nabil is also an integral part of the cold weather shelter program in Utrecht, where he serves as a group worker, gaining valuable insight into the needs and challenges of the target group. His fluency in Moroccan and Algerian Arabic and Riffian enables him to communicate effectively with our target audience, ensuring
that they receive the support they need in a culturally sensitive manner.

Psychologist

Firdaouss Hajoui

Is a psychologist specializing in transcultural mental health care, with a
strong focus on enhancing mental well-being through evidence-based methods and
empathetic care. She possesses extensive knowledge and skills in psychodiagnostics, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and EMDR, and has experience treating diverse populations within both primary and specialized mental health care. Firdaouss provides culturally sensitive treatments and psychodiagnostics in Dutch, Moroccan Arabic, and Classical Arabic. She works in Utrecht and The Hague, where she is dedicated to delivering high-quality care to a diverse range of clients. Currently, Firdaouss holds a role at Meldpunt voor Perspectief, where she continues to apply her expertise in transcultural mental health care to support and improve the mental well-being of individuals from various backgrounds.

Casemanager

Youssef Ouaicha

Successfully completed his bachelor’s degree in Social Work in 2015 and later obtained a master’s degree in Pedagogy in 2022. From 2018 to 2020, Youssef served as project leader for the Al Hidjra program, a return program for Moroccan nationals that promoted voluntary return from the Rotterdam Detention Center in collaboration with the Repatriation and Departure Service (DT&V), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the direct networks of those
involved. He is currently also working at Bureau MHR as a project leader for various projects, including the Forsa! project, which focuses on the reintegration of nonWestern youth in detention. Bureau MHR is a non-judicial organization (NJO), and the reintegration programs are conducted in cooperation with the Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI), the Dutch Probation Service, and municipalities.

Project assistant

Esther Buunk

Is the project assistant and the mastermind behind organizing and planning
our activities at Meldpunt voor Perspectief. With over 20 years of experience in
supporting projects in healthcare and social welfare, including roles at Erasmus MC and the Coordination Group for Undocumented Migrants in Amsterdam, Esther
brings a wealth of expertise to our team. Her extensive experience has allowed her to develop a deep passion for supporting our target population, whom she frequently engaged with in her previous roles.

Mental health nurse practitioner

Mohammed Abdkadiri

Is a specialist in mental health nursing with nearly 30 years of experience in various mental health institutions, including RIAGG Utrecht and the Parnassia Group in Rotterdam. At Meldtpunt voor Perspectief, he provides consultations, diagnoses, treatments, and referrals to specialized mental health care facilities. Additionally, Mohammed plays a key role in offering medical
escorts for returnees with complex medical backgrounds. With deep expertise in
healthcare, particularly in Morocco, he has overseen psychiatric treatments through Project Rif and has extensive experience escorting returnees to North Africa, SubSaharan Africa, and the Middle East