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international

The 'HvA Persons of the Year': Joris Kemna and Leon ten Have

Flora Woudstra Hablé,
21 december 2017 - 10:07

Every year Folia nominates five candidates for the award ‘HvA Persons of the Year,’ of which the most noteworthy is crowned ‘HvA Person of the Year’.  This year the winners are Joris Kemna and Leon ten Have.

Joris Kemna (33) and Leon ten Have (27) thought it was ridiculous: the UvA and HvA cafeterias were selling plastic bottles of mineral water by the thousands despite The Netherlands having the best tap water in the world. The two HvA students, who met following the minor Sustainable Leadership & Entrepreneurship, decided to take action and contacted Join the Pipe, an initiative to encourage the drinking of tap water worldwide, and to fight against the severely environmentally damaging plastic water bottles.

 

In 2016 the duo first started selling Join the Pipe bottles through the UvA and HvA cafeterias. Halfway through 2016 they were selling their bottles in all the cafeterias at a reduced price. While at first the bottles were sold for 8 euros, they are now only 2,95.

 

Throughout their campaign, Joris and Leon have proven themselves to be motivated and committed students who have contributed to environmental consciousness at both the UvA and HvA. Joris and Leon believe that environmental problems are ‘humanity’s biggest challenge,’ and don’t plan to give up the fight for a sustainable world any time soon.