Bianca (45) is the name. And Bianca is cute. Under her hippie hat, not only does her earring shine, her eyes shine too. Still this week, she will become a grandmother to her fourth grandchild. She has long been homeless, but now has a room of her own. "The holidays are evil when you're homeless. Really horrible. You don't wish that on anyone. This year I don't know where I'm going to celebrate yet. I have a very large circle of acquaintances, but I might also celebrate at the church on Kinkerstraat, just around the corner."
I am actually an artist
.We are in the candle-making shop Colors next to the Oud West walk-in centre on Bilderdijkstraat. Colors is a project of De Regenboog Groep where people with a great distance to the labor market find a meaningful daytime activity. Bianca works there three days a week. It is certainly not her first day care project. "I've participated in just about every day care program the municipality offers me. I worked at farmer Piet's, at farmer André's, at farmer Martijn's. Real farm work in all those little villages around Amsterdam, Broek and Waterland and so on. But actually I am an artist. I make all kinds of souvenirs from Fimo clay for tourists, I'm very good at that. I also knit. I knit a scarf in six hours. And I make paintings from kerosene, which you also make candles from.
I just love colors
Little by little, her life is regaining color. She writes lyrics for rappers, sings in a band, jazz, soul, disco. She has lots of new friends and can't believe her luck with all those candles: "I just like colors, you know."
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Bianca is a talker, but above all she is an optimist. She is also a go-getter. The candles that were in the making during this interview at Candle Making Colors can now be ordered in our webshop! Or stop by Colors at Bilderdijkstraat 184!"
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Text: Nicolline van der Spek / Photography: Merlin Michon