“I want to stress to people who are waiting to do the big things… Do the little things: if you are doing the little things, then you are already making a big difference.”
Bijay Dhungana
Board Trustee, Windle International Netherlands
Why are you a member of the Hub?
As a Trustee at Windle International Netherlands – an organisation dedicated to fighting exclusion in education and supporting refugees through learning – Bijay sees the Hub as a space where collaboration turns shared beliefs into real-world impact.
“We have over 400 members working across peace and justice,” Bijay explains. “You can’t do this alone. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be with other colleagues who have similar beliefs and want to make a difference.”
Doing the little things
Bijay’s journey with Windle began a decade ago, driven by a desire to make a tangible difference in the lives of displaced people. One of the organisation’s flagship initiatives trains refugees to become teachers in remote areas like Kakuma (Kenya), and Bijay recalled one participant who had spent nearly 30 years in a refugee camp. “He told me, ‘I’m sure your programme will make my dreams come true,’” Bijay remembers. “Now he’s a teacher in Toronto. Canada needed teachers, and we gave him the digital skills to qualify. That’s very inspiring.”
Another participant’s story has stayed with him ever since. “At the end of the programme, he asked if he could speak. He said, ‘I was born in this camp. Every day they ask me do you know who you are? I say ‘no sir’, and they tell me I’m a refugee. But tomorrow, I will say, no sir, I’m a teacher.’ That moment, when he found his dignity again, that’s what keeps me going.”
Staying inspired
After years working in refugee education, Bijay has developed a clear-eyed view of the challenges in the peace and justice sector.
“I think there are three kinds of people in this field,” he says. “There are those who truly believe and want to make a difference – being around them is inspiring. Then there are the ‘selfie people’ – they want to be seen, to post on social media, and that’s okay too; they help communicate the message. But the third group – the people who don’t believe, who are just there for a job – those I don’t understand. Why do something you don’t believe in?”
For him, the motivation comes from the people he serves.
“When you meet refugees, you see how much hope they have. Every day for them is a new day. They have to believe that life will change. Otherwise, they lose hope. That’s what inspires me.”
On The Hague and co-creating at the Hub
Bijay finds that The Hague – despite its diversity of communities – works through a fragile but functional balance. “It’s an incredible ecosystem,” he says. “Different groups might not always mix, but they come together. It reminds me of refugee camps – you have to give each other space, but you’re co-dependent. That’s how a community survives.” At the Hub, this philosophy of co-dependence translates into collaboration and creative problem-solving. “You come in, you hear conversations, and suddenly you realise you can co-create with someone,” Bijay says. “Everyone here is trying to make a difference. There’s so much energy.”
One of his recent collaborations grew out of conversations at the Hub – adapting micro-learning tools for the “NEET” community (young people Not in Education, Employment, or Training). “Most people in refugee communities already have a day job just trying to survive. They can’t just go and get training,” he explains. “So, we developed mobile-based micro-learning, so they can learn in short bursts – even in five minutes.” While funding remains a challenge, Bijay remains optimistic. “We may not have secured funding yet,” he admits with a smile, “but we’ll get there. You have to stay hopeful.”
What mission-driven work means to Bijay
As our conversation draws to a close, Bijay reflected:
“I’m not young, I’m not old,” he says. “But I do ask myself: if tomorrow it all ends, what is your legacy? It can’t just be financial. It has to be about wanting or hoping to make a difference”
And for Bijay, that difference is clear: one teacher, one learner, one story at a time.
Learn more about Windle International
Humans of the Hub
The Hague Humanity Hub is at the heart of a thriving community dedicated to strengthening peace and justice. That’s what you read on our website, in our newsletter, and on our socials. But who are the individuals behind the organisations? Behind the initiatives, the research, and the actions striving for a more just and peaceful world?
Humans of the Hub takes you beyond the logos and formal titles to introduce you to the passionate people who form this unique community. It’s not just about the projects or institutions, it’s about the humans who dedicate themselves to peace and justice.