‘Girl, don’t walk so fast’

When Anoeska Wever (34) had just started a new job, a man tapped her on the shoulder. ‘Girl, don’t walk so fast,’ the patient said to the young pharmacist. ‘Life is long enough. Don’t stress yourself.’ It was one of Wever’s first encounters with the relaxed culture of Aruba, where she moved from the Netherlands in 2018 after completing her training as a community pharmacist. ‘I found it so kind and caring,’ she says. ‘People here still notice what’s going on around them, they look out for one another. In the pharmacy, they sometimes say: “goodness, are the medicines ready already?” rather than complaining about the waiting time.’

To the minister

Since 2023, Wever has been managing pharmacist at pharmacy group Botica di Servicio. Together with the financial director, she runs the pharmacy chain, which has five locations on Aruba. Wever’s career has grown rapidly. ‘The priorities here are different,’ she says. ‘Medicine shortages hit us much harder, for instance, but on the other hand, the lines of communication are short. If we want something, we go straight to the minister or the inspectorate ourselves.’

‘Now it’s my turn to offer others opportunities’

A few years ago, a shortage of pharmacy assistants was looming. ‘Hardly any new starters were coming through,’ says Wever. ‘Career progression and further training aren’t straightforward here. If nothing was done, our company would run into trouble.’ The pharmacist took matters into her own hands and called the Leidse Onderwijsinstellingen (LOI). ‘Together we set up a vocational training programme. By now, a total of ten pharmacy assistants are in training across Aruba and Curaçao.’

On a silver platter

That opportunities on Aruba are different from those in the Netherlands became clear to Wever when one of the students took her aside and thanked her. ‘She was incredibly happy that she could finally progress in her career. It was only then that I realised how much an opportunity like that can mean to someone.’ She continues: ‘Let’s be honest, I had my opportunities handed to me on a silver platter. I was a good student, received a student grant, and moved into halls. Since living on Aruba, I see more clearly than ever how fortunate I was at home. Now it’s my turn to offer others opportunities.’

Wever often thinks back to the patient who tapped her on the shoulder. ‘”If something doesn’t work out today, tomorrow will do just as well,” he said. I wondered whether that was really true. The man felt I ought to think critically about that.’ Wever realised he was right, though she admits the tendency to rush is still part of her nature. ‘Colleagues regularly wonder what on earth I’m fussing about. At the same time, I sometimes think the opposite — that they could stand to be a little more driven.’ She laughs. ‘It’s a nice balance; we learn from each other.’