How can young people in Curaçao take their first steps towards reflection, dialogue and support in a safe and accessible way?

With that question in mind, I travelled to Curaçao for my final-year project as part of the Master’s programme in Strategic Product Design at Delft University of Technology. What began as a study into mental health among young people developed into a community-based intervention, a series of ‘Real Talk’ evenings and a public exercise and fundraising event along the coast of Curaçao.

A challenge that begins before care is provided

Mental health among young people is receiving increasing attention, but seeking help is often only a late step in a much longer process. Young people first need to recognise, understand and be able to put their feelings into words. They then need to trust someone and feel safe enough to share their feelings.

My research showed that it is precisely at this stage that many obstacles arise. Young people may experience mental pressure, but do not always know how to talk about it, who to turn to or how to start a conversation. Shame, stigma and uncertainty about confidentiality can further raise this barrier.

My central research question therefore became: How can a community-based intervention support young people in Curaçao in taking safe first steps towards mental reflection, expression, open conversation and seeking help?

Rather than focusing directly on formal support services, I explored the space that precedes them. How can we create conditions in which young people can first reflect in their own way, write something down or recognise something, and perhaps only then share it?

Designing with the local context in mind

The project took place within the ‘De Gezonde Wijk Curaçao’ Learning Community, a collaboration in which students and local partners work together to address health issues on the island.

During my field research, I spoke with organisations and professionals from various parts of the mental health sector, including schools, researchers, support organisations and community-based initiatives. I also organised context-mapping and ideation sessions with young people.

A key insight was that openness does not depend solely on a young person’s willingness. Openness is relational: young people also consider who is sitting opposite them, whether that person can be trusted, and what might happen after they have shared something.

That is why ‘safety before vulnerability’ became a key design principle. An intervention should not begin by asking someone to share something personal. It must first create a sense of safety, recognition and space for individual reflection.

Other key principles were that participation must remain voluntary, that the language should not feel clinical or heavy, and that young people should be able to respond in different ways. Not everyone wants to talk. Writing, drawing, moving, making a choice or simply reflecting in silence can also be valuable first steps.

From the sunflower metaphor to Real Talk

Together with The Hangout Curaçao and SafePlace4.Me, I developed and tested various activities during two Real Talk evenings.

During the first evening, the sunflower was used as a metaphor for stress, support and personal strength. For example, the roots represented what keeps a person grounded, whilst sunlight symbolised positive sources of energy.

During the second evening, the metaphor was adapted to the theme of self-image. Participants were able to write down negative thoughts, symbolically remove them and replace them with new, more positive petals. By writing individually first and only then providing space for discussion or compliments, a sense of growth from the inside out was created.

These tests showed that metaphors and physical actions can make abstract or difficult feelings more tangible. They make it possible to express something without someone having to tell a detailed personal story straight away.

Follow the Sun

The lessons learnt from the research and the Real Talk evenings came together in the final intervention: Follow the Sun.

Follow the Sun is a route-based public reflection intervention. Along a walking, running or skating route, participants are invited to pause briefly to reflect on questions about mental health and personal support. The intervention deliberately begins with physical activity. This ensures that taking part does not immediately feel like therapy, counselling or a serious conversation.

Along the route, there were various signs featuring short reflective questions, such as:

• What keeps you grounded?
• What helps you get through a tough day?
• What gives you sunlight?
• Who could use your sunlight today?

Participants could read the questions whilst moving and reflect on them in silence. At the end of the route, they could take away a small reflection booklet to continue writing or drawing in later. QR codes highlighted The Hangout Curaçao and SafePlace4.Me as trusted pathways to further support.

The core of the intervention consists of five steps: inviting participation through movement, individual reflection, safe expression, optional sharing, and connecting with support. None of these steps is compulsory. Participants decide for themselves how far they wish to go.

Move for Real Talk

Follow the Sun was first held in public during Move for Real Talk on 21 June 2026, along the Corredor di Korsou. Participants could walk, run or skate. There was also a Kids Walk.

The event combined physical activity, mental reflection, public visibility and fundraising. It brought together a diverse range of people, organisations and age groups around a topic that is often perceived as difficult or private. By starting with physical activity and positive reflection, a different approach to mental health was created. In addition, nearly 4,000 Antillean guilders were raised for future free Real Talk evenings. As a result, the event was not only a test of the intervention but also contributed to the continuity of local activities.

The pilot does not prove that a single-pathway intervention alone can resolve long-term mental health problems. However, its implementation did demonstrate that young people and other participants are willing to engage with mental health issues when the invitation is framed in a way that is safe, relatable, voluntary and non-clinical.

KIVI’s contribution

The financial support from KIVI helped to enable me to carry out my field research on Curaçao, organise local activities and test prototypes in practice.

This support gave me the freedom not to conduct my research solely remotely, but to be physically present in the context for which I was designing. It was precisely this presence that was essential for building relationships, understanding local perspectives and developing the intervention in collaboration with the organisations involved. I am incredibly grateful to KIVI for that.

I have since shared my experiences with KIVI within the ‘De Gezonde Wijk Curaçao’ Learning Community and with new TU Delft students who are heading to Curaçao for future projects. I hope that, just like me, they will be able to make use of the network and the opportunities that KIVI offers young engineers and designers.

‘Follow the Sun’ began with the question of what a safe first step might look like. The answer turned out not to require any grand or elaborate gesture. Sometimes change begins with a simple movement, a brief question along the way, and a moment to reflect on what gives someone a sense of stability.