Alan Babbitt [00:00:00] Welcome to the Hope Athletics Orange and Blue Podcast, our fourth season. It's Amazing how much time flies when you're having fun. My name is Alan Babbitt. I'm sports information director here at Hope, and it's my privilege to come and share the stories of Hope Athletics and our pillars of academic success, competitive excellence and transformational, experiences. Today's guest certainly exemplifies that Kara VanderKamp, Class of 1995, women's soccer standout, and then also the 2024 Hope for Humanity Award recipient. Welcome to the Orange and Blue podcast, Kara.
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:00:43] Thank you. Thanks for having me.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:00:45] Since this award was presented back in 1990 it's presented to Hope alumni athletes who demonstrated Christian commitment and service to others in their careers after Hope.  What does it mean to you to be chosen as this year's recipient?
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:01:01] Well, first of all, I would say it's a huge honor and an enormous surprise. I was very surprised to receive this award. I know there are so many alumni out there who played sports at Hope who are doing amazing things, and so to be singled out in this way is pretty humbling and, a big honor.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:01:21] When you look back on your time as a student-athlete at Hope what comes to mind when you think of playing soccer at home? What jumps to your mind?
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:01:32] The first thing that comes to mind is fun. I was thinking about that earlier today that I just loved playing soccer. Hope College, it was being part of a team and just camaraderie. We weren't just teammates. We were really great friends. We did a lot together. I think just the whole sports experience is one that brings you together. You suffer together. You work hard together, and then you enjoy when you have wins, you get to celebrate together as well. I loved to play soccer here.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:02:08] What else jumps out to you about your experience at Hope whether in the classroom or professor or class or an event they were involved with? What are some of the other things when you think about Hope College in your time here?
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:02:23] Wow, so much that comes to mind, I think it's kind of cliche to say that for years, it's such a short amount of time relative to my life. But it really stands out as a significant time here at Hope. I think about, my professors. I think one of the things about Hope that I just loved was the fact that the classes were a little bit smaller and the professors truly care about their students. That was,impactful I think more specifically, like, I think of things like, we did a trip to Beaver Island. I think that was a major where we took some disadvantaged children from the community here, and we did a backpacking trip and Beaver Island. I did a Washington semester, and that was very impactful for me. I think that really helped set a course direction, for my life and what I wanted to accomplish. It's just all the small things to you that all the fun you have with your friends and the challenges that you have.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:03:35] I should say you were an accomplished soccer player as well. Two-time All-MIAA first team, the first flying Dutch to receive All-Region honors in soccer. You ended your career as all-time leader in assists? You were co-captain as a senior as well. What did you learn about leadership involved with the Hope soccer program that has helped shape you, into the woman and professional you are today?
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:03:59]  I think one of the things I really love about soccer is it truly is a team sport that everybody has to, play at their best, in order to be successful and to win as a team like you, you have to sacrifice for the team. As far as leadership is concerned, I think really trying to find the strengths of every person on the team and then drawing that out of them. I find that I use that all the time in the work that I'm doing now, just trying to find the right people and the people with the right skill set and all of that, and then encouraging one another, being positive and, challenging each other as well to bring out the best.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:04:45] When how did you pick up the game? When did soccer become your game?
 
Alan Babbitt [00:04:49] Oh, maybe when I was like 5 or 6. I'm from Midland, Michigan, and so that was very much a big sport in Midland. We started early and then played all the way through high school there.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:05:06] How did you come to Hope?
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:05:12] I was debating between Calvin and Hope, essentially. And if I'm being honest about it, my brother went here, and so I came to visit him and had a really good visit, a good experience. That's why I chose Hope.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:05:31] We should give him some credit. What's your brother's name?
 
Alan Babbitt [00:05:33] Brett VanderKamp.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:05:37] When you came here, did you know that you would have a heart for missions? Or is that something you knew before? Was that something you discovered here or after you graduated?
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:05:50] I think it's something that I've always had a heart for service. Like, I've always enjoyed helping people who maybe didn't have the same opportunities that I've had throughout my life. I had the same, blessings that I've had. And so I knew I wanted to go into a field that was helping people realize their potential, their God-given potential. And so I did. I went into education, really here at Hope with kind of a focus on political science, I was very interested in that as well at the time. But it was after college. I was looking for a job, a teaching job, but I knew that I wanted to do something a little bit different.  My grandmother actually me gave an advertisement from the Church Herald, the Reformed Church Herald, and they were looking for teachers in Kenya to teach missionary children. That's how I thought, oh, yeah, I could apply for that. That sounds like an adventure. I ended up going to Kenya for a couple of years, and that kind of led me on this path.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:07:03] You, went on to also earn your Master's degree at Colombia in comparative and international education. And then in 2007, you went to Nigeria, and obviously your life has been changed. Tell us first about the Remember Niger Coalition and the work that you do as group.
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:07:26] The Remember Niger Coalition, our mission is to unify, unify people and mobilize resources to expand quality educational opportunities in, in Nigeria. Basically what we do is we come alongside Nigerians, generally it's a local church, but it could be an association, it could be a different group. And we come alongside of them and they start their schools. They have a vision, a plan for a school in their community, and we come alongside of them and help them realize that vision. So we do things like school construction. We have a sponsorship program we put in solar powered wells. We have a whole variety of things that we do because we really tailor our approach to our partners needs and their vision, their desires. Niger is one of the least developed countries in the world and it's the least educated. Only about 50% of children have the opportunity to go to school there. And that's only for like maybe even a couple of years. So I was like looking at girls. Of the girls who start primary school, only 5% of those girls continue on to middle school. I just think we have this awesome opportunity. I can tell you a little bit about the history of that, but we have this really amazing opportunity to work with Nigerians who own and operate their schools and are really doing a great job of providing quality education to their neighbors, children, their children. And, in a country where most, most children don't have that opportunity.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:09:14] How did that particular spot in the world how did you get there from Kenya?
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:09:20] I went back and taught in Chicago for several years and then went back for my master's degree, as you said. As I was finishing up my master's degree, a former missionary who was the director of missions [organization] she had been in Kenya and we had known each other, and she knew about this position in Niger. It just seemed like the ideal position to me because of the fact that I would get to work with Nigerians and help them, like, support them in their efforts, which is what I really, really believe in, that I don't like to come in and just like tell people what you know. Should be doing. I want them to lead the initiative.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:10:10] Tell us more about the coalition you mentioned earlier and about the expanse of what you're doing and the opportunities for Hope alums and people to support that effort.
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:10:22] That would be great because they're first of all, I think it's exciting. It's exciting any time that you can, find an opportunity like this. When I lived there, I was there for two years, and I was working with local church leaders and helped them establish schools in their community. What became apparent to me pretty quickly was that they had everything that they needed. They had the, they had the vision. They had a pretty concrete plan. They knew what they were doing. They knew how to start schools in their community in their country. What they lacked were partners. And I thought I could be more useful going back to the United States and helping them find more partners. And so that's how Remember Niger started. When we started, we had three school partners about 400 students. Since that time, we now have 18 school partners and over 5000 students that we support. There are more. There's more opportunity there. I just feel like it's just so ripe for being able to make a concrete difference in a country that they just do not have the same opportunities that we do. If you want to make a difference, I'm telling you, this is the place to go because for a school construction project, we usually, start with three classrooms, a three-classroom block. It's about $45,000 to build. To be fair, it's a basic concrete building But when you compare that to what you're spending here in the United States it's nothing. To send a child to school, it's about $35 a month through our sponsorship program. It's like you change a life for $35 a month. To me, it's incredible that we have this. I keep saying opportunity. I need to come up with a different word.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:12:28] Where's the best way? And I got a few more questions about before I forget. What's the best way to learn more and find a way to donate and support the coalition?
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:12:38] You could go to our website. I think that's probably the easiest way. It's rememberniger.org.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:12:49] Obviously with this group, you've been a strong advocate you mentioned earlier for girls, but also for disabled members of the community there. Tell us about the heart, particularly for that. Obviously you're there to service, you know, the youth there but in particular focus, you know, with girls and, disabled.
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:13:06] We started working with the disabled. We actually started with the deaf community. There's a deaf school in Nimaey in the capital. It was just heartbreaking when you go to the school and they just have so few resources, and, the teachers are overwhelmed. The teachers don't have the training that they need as far as, like, sign language. We came alongside them and we put in a resource center for them and we put the tools in that they needed so that the kids could learn sign language. And I could go into more detail about that. But, it's basically, a computer lab, library resource center there. But then we also have a partner, Hosanna is the name of the nonprofit organization. They also have a church as well associated with it. But then they partner with the association for people with disabilities, so it's a super neat partnership.  I can't say enough great things about, the school that they created and coming alongside of them and helping them start a school. We, with the help of donors here in West Michigan, we just built three more classrooms there. They're up to six classrooms now, but their vision is to go all the way through high school and even have a dormitory there because in Niger the disabled at minimum you would say they're overlooked, but at worst they're discriminated against. A lot of times, the kids don't have the opportunity to go to school. Most of the time. I think it's a statistic is less than 5% of children with disabilities go to school and oftentimes what happens is the parents will just kind of put them in the house and they that's where they are they stay all day. This has been amazing to be able to work with them and really help the least of these.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:15:14] I was just looking at the numbers here. And during the past 15 years, more than 80 classrooms in 13 different communities, as well as 115 teachers receiving training in we and, I think they are 400 boys and girls in primary school and 98 girls in middle and high school would not otherwise be educated. And, the partner schools have a 90% pass rate on the national exam. When you have moments like that, obviously you're busy and trying to do as much as you can. What does it mean when you see this success and that continues to grow from where you started back in 2007?
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:15:51] It's really rewarding and exciting. But I have to admit, I'm so focused on like, the other, going to say this word again, opportunities that I'm like, okay, that's great. We did that. That's good. But we need to keep moving forward. We can't lose sight of the prize here, which I think maybe we could tie back to Hope college and soccer and, like working hard because you come across successes and challenges, but you kind of you got to stay focused.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:16:20] Those listening and some, you know, there's, few student-athletes here that will be graduating this year and graduating soon. What advice would you give for them, for them to find their calling to be, to serve in the world, whether it's in Africa or Asia or right here in North America, in the United States? What would you recommend, having experienced what I experienced so far and, to help them find their calling and listen to what God wants them to do to help others?
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:16:52] I think it's there at an exciting point in their life where they're just, I mean, that's, you know, there's so much possibility that they can do. So first of all, I would say enjoy it, you know, but I think my advice would be, you know, you have everything you need to be successful. You here at Hope College, you're in the athletic program. You have, you know, you're being challenged academically. You know, athletically, you're part of a team. You're learning everything that you need to. You're gaining everything that you need to be successful. So regardless of the path that you choose, I would say, you know, go out there and be successful and then don't forget to look for the opportunities to be to be of service. But really, I mean, for me, I'd say to empower other people to come alongside of them and help them realize their vision because what you start to realize the more you're out there is, is that we are really lucky people, that we had the opportunity to go to this amazing institution and be with these. I mean, part of I mean, obviously what makes Hope great, it's the people, right? The students, everybody. I think taking that gratitude and using it as a motivation and motivator to help other people in the system. I have to say, like, for me personally, working with, our partners, my colleagues in Niger, like it is the privilege of my lifetime. There's so much. it's sad because life is so hard in Niger for these people. But there's also joy mixed in with that. I would just encourage people to experience that. And you know.
 
Alan Babbitt [00:18:36] Remember folks, remembeniger.org. Go check out the information and support this wonderful coalition and all that Kara and her team are doing there. This concludes episode one of the new season of Hope Athletics Orange and Blue podcast. I Look forward to having more conversations in the coming months with some of the great people here at Hope that, strive to, not only, for success in and on the field and in their classroom, but also serving God's community as well. Thank you.
 
Kara VanderKamp [00:19:13] Thank you.