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Our Team
Meet the strong women, united in fighting for a world free of gender based violence.
Claude Jonkmans
Founder + Director of Operations
As half Swiss and half Canadian, Claude grew up on two continents and has learned to adapt, gain empathy and cultural understanding throughout her childhood and youth.
She graduated from Hotel Management School in Switzerland in 2018 to then move to Berlin and work as a manager.
When the pandemic started, she reframed her life and moved to Greece in order to help empower communities through the power of sport and movement working with an organization named Yoga and Sport with Refugees.
She has been practicing many of sports ranging from dance, yoga to martial arts and rugby since she was a kid and thus gained a wide variety of skills. She has been teaching mainly fitness for the past 8 years to beginners, intermediates, teams as well as individuals.
In 2022 she accomplished the Empowerment and Self Defense Instructor training with ESD Global.
Amira Ouanella
Fundraising Officer and Administrative Assistant
Amira is a passionate Fundraising Officer and Administrative Assistant at EmpowerVan, dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the fight against violence. Growing up with two nationalities and cultures, she has developed a deep sense of empathy and adaptability, which informs her work and interactions.
With a strong background in project coordination, Amira thrives in creating well-organized and impactful initiatives. Her strong organizational skills and keen eye for detail in administration ensure that initiatives are well-structured and impactful.
Committed to continuous learning and advocacy, Amira believes in the power of collective effort to inspire change.
Emily Forbes
Fundraising Lead
With over four years experience working with NGOs supporting people on the move in Jordan and now Greece, in various on the ground and project management position, Emily has invaluable insight into the realities of the situation on the ground and the challenges of NGOs supporting these communities.
Graduating with an LLM in International Human Rights Law and Practice, throughout her academic career, she continuously aimed to support, and promote the rights of people on the move and human rights defenders. Four years on from graduating and she remain dedicated to gaining experience in this field by working with grassroots NGOs.
Mirjana Lazic
Board
Mirjana Lazic is known for her great empathy and social side as well as for her capacity to think outside of the box.
She is a chef and loves to cook and spend time in nature. Her sensitivity for others is always inspiring and everyone around her can profit from her great insights and capability to give feedback.
Natasa Pontika
Coach and Greek Support
Natasa is an absolute super woman - a former Kick Boxing World Champion, owner of a local fight club, member of the Hellenic Boxing Federation and big dog lover.
We are happy that we can profit of her network, in navigating the Greek sport eco-system, that she joins us for classes in the camp, where she can shine with her skills and of course, that we get to ride in the van together and have a great laugh.
Katharina
Sports Therapist & Instructor
Katharina is a woman of many talents, with a thorough experience in martial arts, as a kickboxing fighter, and many additional qualifications. She is as a certified self-defense instructor and sports therapist. Due to her lengthy career in education, her pedagogical knowledge is a huge asset to the team.
Katharina has been active in solidarity movements for years and has trained in a variety of clubs, martial arts and sports. Lastly, her first profession as a carpenter comes in handy, as she helps us build the EmpowerVan!
Our Partners
Without collaborations and solidarity within humanitarian organisations, we simply could not do our work.
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