The Book Week has started: a week full of books and activities in libraries. But for 3.5 million Dutch people, reading is not a given. A letter from the housing corporation, a leaflet for medication, or a form at work: it can be a significant challenge. For Andre Roelvink (59) from Amsterdam-Noord, that was the case. He kept his reading problems a secret for a long time until he could no longer do so.

For years, Andre had a successful taxi business. But then the rules changed and he suddenly had to obtain a middle-class diploma. “But that level was too high. I couldnt manage it.” Eventually, Andre stopped his taxi business and went to work for someone else.

Smart Tricks

Andre had clever ways to hide his reading problems. Safety instructions? He bent over the paper for 10 minutes and signed without reading what it said. But he felt stressed when he received letters. One day, a friend read an insurance letter to him. She asked, “Maybe you should go back to school?”

With Help from Sipi, Andre Gained Control Over Language

At first, Andre saw mainly problems: no time, no idea where to start, and what does it actually cost? But his girlfriend helped him, and so he ended up at Sipi (Foundation for Intercultural Participation and Integration) in Amsterdam-Noord.

At Sipi, you can learn to read and write better. The language lessons are funded by the municipality and are accessible to people born in the Netherlands as well as those for whom Dutch is a second language.

Andre says: “At Sipi, they asked: ‘What do you want to learn?’ I said: ‘reading comprehension,’ because that was my biggest problem.” Soon, things improved. Letters and forms caused less stress, and he dared to be open about his low literacy.

‘I Am Not the Only One’

At Sipi, Andre discovered that he is far from the only one struggling with reading. “There are many people who do not understand letters,” he says. “This sometimes leads to problems, for example, due to bills they cannot read.” Thousands of people in Amsterdam struggle with this. The neighborhood teams notice this.

From Receiving Help to Helping Others

Andre met language ambassadors. These are people who once struggled with reading and writing themselves but now help others. He was inspired and is now an ambassador at the Reading and Writing Foundation. Now he tells his story to other Amsterdammers, interest groups, and politicians. “Many people think of themselves: I am stupid. But that is not true. They have just never received the right help.”

Reading Pleasure Starts with What You Like

Now that Andre enjoys reading himself, he encourages others to read as well. “Many young people are on their phones. Fine, but let them read something they enjoy. Do people like gardening? Let them read an article about vegetable gardens. Do children like Ajax? Give them a book about their favorite player.”

This week, there are many activities around books and stories in the OBA and other libraries. “I thought for a long time that reading was not for me and avoided the library,” says Andre. “But now I see how valuable it can be. I hope others also discover what reading can mean for them.”

Free Language Lessons

Would you like to improve your reading and writing? Then check out Better Dutch Reading and Writing. You can sign up here for free language lessons.