our team
Building Human Connections
We are a team dedicated to the mission of making a difference in the lives of newcomers. Made up of experienced and passionate coordinators and a vibrant team of dozens of committed volunteers, our work is guided by an emphasis on personal relationships. We believe that each person deserves individualized attention and genuine care. Through these human connections, we build trust, mutual understanding and a sense of community.
Our coordinators not only lead, but also inspire and empower our team of volunteers, providing an environment where everyone can contribute with their unique talents and skills.
We present to you our Team of Coordinators:
Patricia Barendregt
Founder and Director of Road of Hope
Patricia Silva Barendregt is from Brazil and works in the field of international development. The idea of the Road of Hope Foundation was inspired at her heart when she first came face to face with the consequences of conflict and forced migration. This has led her to devote her life to improving the situation of refugees.
Master in International Development Studies at the University of Amsterdam, she conducted field research in Jordan where she visited Syrian refugees and Jordanian families in Al-Mafraq, Irbid, Al-Zarqa, Amman and Al-Za’atari refugee camps.
This experience transformed, not only her views but her life entirely.
Tatev Pardjinjan
Project Coordinator of Ondernemerschap
Tatev Pardjinjan was born in Armenia and, at a very young age, had to flee her country with her family. She came to the Netherlands as a refugee. After 5 years of living in various refugee camps (AZC), she finally got her Dutch nationality.
She studied International Business in the Netherlands and travelled abroad as part of her bachelor’s degree. Living and working among different cultures, she learned to appreciate different views, customs and traditions. A life experience that made her very internationally oriented and related to newcomers from all backgrounds.
Tatev started at Road of Hope in 2016, and before becoming a staff member, she devoted 3 years as a volunteer.
Andreea Alexandru
Project Coordinator of Breath of Hope
Since February 2025, Andreea Alexandru has been leading the Breath of Hope project at Road of Hope, supporting refugees and newcomers in Amsterdam Nieuw-West through women’s reflection groups, workshops, and counseling hours. With a background in Psychology (BSc) and Neuroscience & Cognition (MSc), Andreea brings a unique blend of expertise from both the corporate world and mental health fields. Her passion for personal growth and helping others inspired her to transition into this meaningful work, where she aims to expand mental health initiatives and build on the project’s impact. Andreea has found deep purpose in her role, motivated by the resilience of the community and the mission of Road of Hope. She is excited to develop new initiatives and continue making a difference.
andreea.alexandru@roadofhope.org
Alina Bielun
Project Coordinator of Together
Alina Bielun is a Ukrainian visual artist who, while visiting Europe in Feb 2022, got stranded after a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Only then, after becoming temporarily displaced herself, she realized that, for many years already, she was surrounded by family members and new friends who had been internally displaced persons since 2014, when the Russian invasion first began.
Understanding that she had a great willingness to belong and to do something for Ukraine, in May of 2022, she started at Road of Hope as a volunteer, and in October of the same year, she became the coordinator of Together, our project for wellcome Ukrainians in the Netherlands. Alina believes that art can illuminate things, that are impossible to explain with words, building bridges between different social groups. Those gave Together’s activities a strong artistic approach.
Gabriella Pignato
Project Coordinator of Bridge of Hope
With a multicultural background, Gabriella Pignato was born in Brussels and first moved to the Netherlands at 7 years old. A great part of her life she has spent living and serving people in vulnerable situations in different nations. For almost one year, she has worked with orphans in Ukraine (UA). In 2022, when the full-scale invasion began in UA, Gabriella and her family started welcoming Ukrainians in the Netherlands and found in Road of Hope the support she needed to keep assisting, not only Ukrainians but others in Amsterdam Noord. Gabriella is coordinating Bridge of Hope, focusing on reducing barriers to social integration between different population groups in Amsterdam Noord. With an emphasis on social integration, the project brings locals together with newcomers, through Home Visits, Personal Wellness, Workshops and Connecting with the neighborhood
Ana Claudia Luz
Comunication Coordinator
Ana is a Brazilian journalist with over 15 years of experience in Telecommunications (radio and TV). In the last decade, she has also worked as a freelance producer and documentary maker for various humanitarian organisations around the world. In this context, while producing a documentary about the integration of refugees in the Netherlands in 2017, she met Road of Hope, and since then she has started producing multimedia content for the organisation. In 2019, Ana became the coordinator of our Communications department. Most of her professional experiences show her passion for reporting the stories of different groups and their journey away from conflict and all kinds of insecurity.
Anika Jansen
Human Resources Coordinator
Anika has a scientific background and began studying medicine out of a desire to help people. During her medical studies, she gained experience in different healthcare settings. Through these experiences, a desire grew to be a voice for people as a whole.
In August 2023, she joined Road of Hope as a volunteer for the project research with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) about experimental knowledge, using intercultural facilitators to empower women in the Breath of Hope project. Since November 2023 she has been part of the team also as Human Resources Coordinator. “In the scientific world, there’s a tangible gap between literature and the field. With the work I do now, that gap is gone and I can see the direct impact of helping people in whatever way.“, Anika believes.
Marisela Garcia
Project Coordinator of Mijn Toekomst – Jouw Toekomst
Marisela believes in the power of inclusion and the strength of every individual. Originally from Spain, she has called Amsterdam home for many years, navigating life as a migrant and understanding firsthand the struggles of language barriers, job opportunities, and feeling underestimated.
Passionate about people and well-being, she has dedicated her life to creating spaces where everyone, regardless of background, feels valued and heard. Since 2003, she has been actively involved in social work, standing up for minority groups and working toward a more just and compassionate society.
Now, as the coordinator of Mijn Toekomst – Jouw Toekomst at the Road of Hope Foundation, she focuses on supporting undocumented children in Amsterdam, helping them and their families find hope and opportunity.
For Marisela, “the human being is the most beautiful thing in this world.”