Our Story
Sometimes, as a child, you already know which direction you should head in, without understanding why. That was true for me, too. What began as an intuitive sentence in a yearbook grew into an enterprise that connects people, creates opportunities, and provides a stage for craftsmanship.
This is the story behind Chayah — and how my own journey seamlessly became part of it.
Over mij
Ik was vijftien toen ik mijn middelbare school afrondde. Helemaal klaar om te beginnen aan de opleiding Interieuradviseur aan het HMC. Toch schreef ik in het jaarboek iets wat daar ver van af leek: “Over tien jaar woon ik in Afrika om mensen te helpen.”
How Chayah Came to Be
Chayah began in 2023 as a simple school project for Nienke. During her first year of Business Administration at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, she was tasked with writing a business plan for a final assignment. What started as an academic challenge quickly grew into something much larger. Chayah found a place in her heart, and a clear vision emerged: a company that not only sells products but also changes lives.
When it was time to choose a minor in her third year, the decision was easy: minor in Entrepreneurship. This provided Nienke the opportunity to turn Chayah into a reality. At the beginning of the minor, she met Olivier. They soon discovered that they shared the same passion for doing something about poverty and making a difference together. From that moment on, the journey of Chayah truly began to take shape.