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Our Team

Meet the helping hands, united to fight for a world free of gender based violence.

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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.

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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.

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Elif Temizkan

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Elif Temizkan studied social work at the FHNW in Switzerland. She has been working in social care with people who have mental disorders since 2021.

She is driven to enhance the lives of disadvantaged communities of societies and has now taken on law studies in order to pursue her goals in a more systemic manner.

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Mirjana Lazic

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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.

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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.

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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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