Policy is made on the basis of data, but people are moved by stories. We collect both — carefully, with permission, without reducing anyone to a statistic or an exception. What we learn we share, because awareness is the first step toward change.
What we do
- Anonymously and in aggregate record what our participants encounter: barriers, breakthroughs, patterns
- Capture personal stories — only when people choose to share them, in their own words
- Publish short reports, annual overviews and public stories that anyone can read
- Share our insights with municipalities, educational institutions and other organisations that want to act on them
Who we work with
For the people whose story we are allowed to tell — they remain in charge. For policymakers and professionals looking for what works in practice. And for the wider Rotterdam community, which can see more than the headline suggests.
Our approach
We work by a simple principle: data serves people, not the other way around. We always ask for permission, we do not pass on raw stories without context, and we let people read along before anything is published. Where we can, we cooperate with researchers from Rotterdam universities of applied sciences and academic institutions to keep our methods rigorous.
Examples
For illustration of the kind of work:
- An annual "neighbourhood portrait" that shows in images and numbers what is changing in an area
- A collection of stories in which former participants describe in their own words what their path looked like
- A short policy letter to the municipality flagging patterns that remain invisible in individual case files
Get involved
Would you like to share your story, or help record it? Sign up as a volunteer or support this work so we can keep working with care.
“People become visible again the moment someone sees them — and keeps looking.”
