The official languages in Aruba are Dutch and Papiamento. So why is this site in English instead of one of those languages?
Simply put, there are more English speakers world-wide than those who speak Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish or English. The Jeffry Stijn Foundation wants to reach as many people as possible, especially those struggling with mental illness and mental health in small communities with limited resources.
In Aruban society there are four prevalent languages; Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish and English. Papiamento is spoken world-wide by about 300,000 people. There are between 23 and 25 million Dutch native speakers world-wide, and an estimated 5 million people who speak Dutch as a second language. Spanish is spoken by about 595 million people, with an additional 99 million who have a limited understanding of the language.
English is spoken, either natively or as a second language, by 1.5 billion people.
Though the Jeffry Stijn Foundation’s primary focus is initially on Aruban patients, the information available on this site is there for anyone struggling with mental health issues, as well as other interested people who want to know more about mental health, or how to help their loved ones.
Perhaps one day the Jeffry Stijn Foundation will have the means to translate this site into all languages spoken on Aruba.
