But then really
Jan and Marga renovate a house in Suriname to eventually move there.
Their first visit to Suriname ten years ago, planted the seed for a major change in the lives of Jan and Marga from South Holland. They fell in love with the country and after several follow-up visits they got the increasingly serious idea of growing old here together. In the meantime, after a rigorous renovation, they have transformed a shack into a nice house in an idyllic environment and the step to official emigration is not far away.
She wanted to go to the jungle, he to prison. These were the wishes that brought Marga and Jan from Oude-Tonge in South Holland to Suriname in 2014. There she could walk through a tropical rainforest for the first time and he could easily go to neighboring French Guiana to visit the Bagno prison from the famous book adaptation Papillon.
“We were quickly impressed by Suriname,” says former teacher Marga (now 60). “The nature is impressive and the people are friendly. The visit tasted like more and we went there a few more times,” Jan (now 64) adds to his wife. They explored different parts of the country and enjoyed their travels. Marga: “We jokingly said to each other that we would like to grow old here. Well, people often dream out loud when they are somewhere fantastic, but that is usually where it ends. We wanted that too, but for real.”
The couple had seen during their travels to Suriname that Saramacca in the north would be a nice green and quiet district to live. Probably the ' Boeroes' – descendants of Dutch farmers in the 19th century – thought the same way when they settled on the Saramacca River. “We also wanted to live on the river,” says Jan. “A lot of life in Suriname takes place on and along the water and that appealed to us.” Marga laughs: “In the water too, by the way. There are all sorts of animals swimming around here, from piranhas to otters and from dolphins to manatees.”
House after the renovation
View of the house from the river
Situation before the renovation
After some searching and some local help, the two found their dream location in 2020, just before the major corona outbreak. It was a piece of land of the former Dirkshoop plantation on the river, in a quiet but inhabited area, not completely isolated from everything and everyone. “Also important,” says Jan, “that although a lot can be traveled via the river, it is also possible to travel by road from here, which is nice when you get older and less flexible. We are two kilometers from the district capital Groningen and an hour's drive from Paramaribo.”
Incidentally, there were still a few things that had to be done before the plot could actually be lived on. “First of all,” says Marga, “as a foreign private individual, you can’t just buy a plot with ground rent. That is possible with freehold plots and in the name of a foundation. So we first bought a foundation.”
In addition, there was already a house on the site, but it was a slum, unsuitable for habitation.” Jan, who worked in construction for almost his entire career, says that only the brick walls of the house remained, but that everything else had to be rebuilt. “The big job was carried out by workers from the immediate vicinity. Initially, we managed the preparatory work from the Netherlands. But that didn’t work well. The first contractor kept failing and we didn’t make much progress. We were then able to rent a house nearby and were therefore able to keep control of the project. It is really necessary to be present on the construction site during construction. With the second contractor, things worked out fine and we have been living there since June of this year. We have all the amenities here, including a swimming pool and solar panels.”
Housing does the retired person – 'we can do well here with less money, but it is harder for Surinamese to make ends meet' – couple not yet permanently. Marga: “We have not officially emigrated yet. If you stay outside the Netherlands for more than eight months per year, you must deregister with the municipality where you live according to Dutch regulations. That is why we still return to the Netherlands for at least four months. But we do intend to emigrate in the future.”
Marga and Jan have some advice for people who are also considering such big moving plans. “Of course, good preparation is essential, don't rush into things. For example, we visited the emigration grant In Houten, we spoke to many emigrants and read everything we could find on the subject. Start arranging the necessary documents in good time. Marga: “Keep in mind that some things don’t always go well on the spot. We often add the words ‘if all goes well’: They’ll come and fix it tomorrow, if all goes well… If you’re someone who works by the clock and has strict appointments, it can be frustrating, but in our case, with patience and trust, it always worked out well. Jan: “It’s important to build a local network of professionals. We already know a lot of people here and feel like we belong. Be open, participate locally with the residents, go to village festivals and activities. We felt at home quickly.”
Thanks to Jan and Marga from Dirkshoop – Suriname
Interview: Wout de Bruijne
View of the river before the renovation
Jan and Marga on their boat Moi Gudu
View of the river after the renovation
