Dakloze jongeren: een onzichtbare groep

Denischa Faria (23) is one of over 500 homeless young people in Amsterdam. This group receives far too little, or even the wrong kind of attention, according to documentary filmmaker Juliëtte Spaaij. Hoping to change that, she followed Denischa for her documentary "You Just as Good as Me." Denischa was kicked out of her mother's house in 2018 after a fight at home. With the help of child protection services, she tried to reconnect with her mother, but to no avail. "You do your best to prove to your mother that you've changed. If she doesn't see that, it's over for you too. Then I said, 'Okay, then you don't have a daughter anymore,' and I threw away the baby pictures." Denischa has since found shelter with friends or organizations like HVO-Querido. According to a recent estimate from the municipality, the city has over 520 homeless young people like Denischa. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) has determined that this group is growing significantly nationwide. In ten years, the number of homeless young people tripled from 4,000 in 2009 to 12,000 in 2019. During her research for "You as good as me," Juliette Spaaij spoke with many young people like Denischa. Most young people who end up on the streets have little control over their lives. "It often has to do with an unstable home situation," the director explains. "Then they are kicked out by their parents and lose contact with their family." With the documentary, Spaaij hopes to raise awareness by showing what these young people face every day. "There are many prejudices about this group," she notes. "We all know the stereotype of a homeless person living on the streets, but this group is invisible, and yet it isn't." ❌ ❌ ❌ AT5 - Real Amsterdam News Subscribe to our YouTube channel here:    / at5   Tips or comments? WhatsApp: 06 511 909 38 Phone: 020 555 1155 Follow AT5: www.at5.nl Instagram: instagram.com/at5.nl Facebook: facebook.com/at5nl Twitter: twitter.com/at5