On 26 September, after nearly two years of work, we came together with our community and our Spanish partner Building Bridges to mark the closing of the international Closing the Digital GAP programme. Made possible through Erasmus+ and the European Union, the programme accompanied dozens of women through a journey of growth, both in the Netherlands and in Spain.
We worked on current digital and technical skills, but equally on something that matters just as much: personal development, self-confidence, connection, and the courage to take the next step.
Together, we built a safe, dynamic and enthusiastic space where women found each other. Friendships formed, collaborations were born, and new ideas and opportunities emerged.
And then came our closing day.
From Knowledge to Visibility
We kicked things off with a joint LinkedIn marketing workshop. José M. Imbert, Head of Office at YesEuropa / Building Bridges Association, and our programme director Margot Barreveld led an inspiring session together, helping participants not only strengthen their digital skills, but also learn how to put themselves, their knowledge, and their stories out into the world.
Discovering Amsterdam Zuidoost Together, with Bims Tours
Next, it was time to show our Spanish partner and our community the neighbourhood where Black Women in Technology (ZVVT) is rooted, and where much of our community calls home: Amsterdam Zuidoost.
Guided by Bims Tours, we set out to discover, experience, and feel the Zuidoost from the inside. The energy, the dynamism, the richness of it all was something else entirely.
We visited special places and learned about the history, culture and identity of the neighbourhood, including getting a taste of its local dialect, “Smibanees.” We stopped at Hoogoord, the very first residential block where the first residents of Amsterdam Zuidoost moved in on 25 November 1968, later visited by Queen Juliana. We also stood before the “Groeiend Monument,” the memorial dedicated to the Amsterdam Zuidoost air disaster, built around the tree that witnessed it all.
See more from this wonderful visit here: https://zvvt.nl/wat-een-dag-wat-een-dag-wat-een-dag-dit-is-de-impact-van-closing-the-digital-gap/
A Meaningful Finale at the Bijlmer Museum
We rounded off the day at the Bijlmer Museum, located within the community space of the iconic honeycomb-shaped Grubbehoeve apartment block. Doede welcomed us with a wonderful guided tour, walking us through the history and transformation of the Bijlmer over the decades. We closed the evening together with drinks and snacks, in exactly the kind of atmosphere this programme has always been about.
And it was right there that we were reminded, once again, of what a programme like Closing the Digital GAP can truly achieve.
What started as a programme focused on digital and technical skills became something much larger. Culture, community, technology, personal growth, friendship, collaboration, and networking, all came together in one place.
Because closing the digital gap is not simply about learning to use technology. It is about accessing knowledge, opportunities, networks, and new perspectives. Technology is not separate from the people, culture and society we live in, and that is exactly what we wanted everyone to experience that day.
Two years of Closing the Digital GAP. A programme may come to an end, but the connections we have built will last. 💚💙
Thank you to all participants, teachers, trainers, partners, and everyone who made this journey possible.
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