jan - Jan L.M.H. Gerards

"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion."

Albert Camus

In Memory of
Jan L.M.H. Gerards

From 1946 to 2022

Jan L Gerards sought to help the world by providing water to people without access to it. Water is one of life's most essential elements. In that spirit, if you are inspired by Jan's life and wish to give back to the world, please donate to Charity.

water.org

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Click above for a video slide show of Jan's visual autobiography.

About Jan L.M.H. Gerards

Jan Leonard Maria Hubert Gerards, Son of Jan (also known as Cheng) and his wife Ria, was born October 3, 1946 in Heerlen Holland. He had one sibling, his sister, Marjo. Growing up, Jan attended primary school in his hometown, graduating two years early, at 16yrs old. After primary school, Jan traveled to Israel in 1965. His time in Israel stirred his passion for agriculture, a passion that he took to university.

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Water Resources Development, River Basin Planning and Irrigation and Drainage Water Management — all engineering
Community-based Management and Implementation of Development Program and Projects
Management Information Systems in Development
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Experience Over 40 years in development projects in Asia and East-Africa in water resources, river basin and irrigation management, institutional development and in poverty alleviation, management of rural infrastructure.
25 years in senior management positions (team leader, project manager, 11 years as project director for Gaia International Management Inc.) of multi-expert multi-disciplinary teams
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Favourite Food

Sliced medium rare grilled Steak Ribeye Black Angus with french fries on serving board block

Favourite Movies

Beautiful movie of two women (mother and daughter) living in sands – desert area in North-East Brazil - under harshest circumstances in eastern Brazil for 60 years, with nothing…. Nothing, just some fish from the Atlantic

Man, who likes his wine, of past middle age, takes care of 4 women, all older than 80, in August, when Rome is closed and all Italians are on holiday… Great story about being old… Just imagine yourself you would be this man…

How the French interact, as only the French can do…

Jews in concentration camp In Austria are forced to help Nazis make fake dollars and British Pounds, in order to survive, and how they deal with this mind-boggling dilemma…

Great movie, well acted. Good plot story. Painful for all involved…

Family (broken and with strange relation) settles in Uruguay after WWII, and an Iranian Ph.D. student from USA visits unexpectedly to write a thesis on a deceased husband who was a writer of one book only..

A CEO of big media company – goes kind of crazy after his wife dies unexpectedly, and he is left with bringing his 7-year old daughter to school every day. He decided to wait in the front of school in a park every day until school ends, and makes this park his office, where all his staff and business people now visit him…

Woman of middle age, originally from Russia, but married to rich textile tycoon of Milan, falls in love with friend of her son (who will take over his father’s huge business) and starts an affair with this friend, a cook in a restaurant. Very stylish, and full with the pains of life…

Story about a woman with a painful secret, and her effort to go back into society after 16 years in jail.

How a random rifle shot by a young boy in Morocco changes the lives of many

Great story about corrupt politicians in England and USA…

Girl of 18 takes care of her sister and brother in backwoods of Arkansas, the Ozarks, the most difficult area in Mid-USA.

A man’s downfall for whistle blowing against corrupt tobacco companies. Great movie..

Robert di Nero as Conquistador , turned priest for his sins, and trekking with Jesuits through South-American jungle to help the locals against the Spanish and their swords…

A man needs money for an operation o his son, and accepts a contract to kill someone for Euros 30,000. All goes wrong (of course!)…

George Clooney’s best role: “Fixing” things as handyman-lawyer for a huge lawyers’ firm, engaged in helping a large company in fraud regarding deaths through pesticides…

What if you did something 1 minute or 2 minute later when you left your home…? The impact of time on what fate has in store for you..

The ultimate criminal-against-police movie. Two great actors face off: both win!

Best comedy around… How a NeoNazi becomes religious…

Professor (getting old, past his prime_ falls in love, and can’t believe this happened to him

How a man can fall from grace into full disgrace…

Village in pre-war World War I in eastern Germany, with many secrets…

English Title: Common Ground Couple in Buenos Aires deals with husband getting laid off from University, and no pension… What to do?

Father and son make peace, when dad is dying…

Woman with early Alzheimer needs to go into institution, making her husband unable to accept this fact… Beautifully acted, and painful..

California in early 1900... Oil and religion do not mix! As it really was then…

Young man of Turkish descent and professor in literature in Germany goes to Turkey, his roots…

Midde Class Marriage falls apart in 1950’s in USA…

Old female camp guard of concentration camp faces her day in court, and as viewed by a young man, who was her lover when he was 14 years old (wouldn’t we all like to have this experience?!)