As a teenager, Leo (68) dreamed of doing international development work. Instead he ended up becoming an architect. However, his dream was never lost and remained with him throughout his life. Now that he’s retired, he wants to use his knowledge and experience to make the world a little bit brighter.

Helping others was something Leo knew he wanted to do from a very young age. “My father set an example for me. He was always there for others, especially those who were struggling. When I was younger, I saw him slip money into the hand of a struggling aunt. He didn’t want anyone to know, but I saw it. He wasn’t after anything for himself either. He once told me, ‘I could drive a bigger car if I wanted, but I want your life to be good, in case something happens to me.’ His instinct was right; he passed away not long after. I was seventeen.”

Choosing meaning over money

Leo veered away from his original dream and began a degree in engineering. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. When I finished my studies, I didn’t want to end up just working for yuppies. I wanted to do something that had real societal value. The great thing was that I got the chance to spend ten years working on hospital construction. That meant far more to me than building a villa for some wealthy client ever could. Hahaha!”

Paradise

“As an architect, beauty is an important value to me. It’s my ambition to create beauty, to make things more beautiful. It’s something I enjoy a lot. We all want to find paradise, don’t we? We’re looking for some kind of perfection. It’s ultimately not possible to achieve perfection in this life, but it has been my challenge nonetheless to keep working towards it.”

New assignment

When Leo retired a couple of years ago, he was struck by the quiet of everyday life. “I prayed for a new assignment, a new sense of purpose. That was the beginning of something remarkable. Shortly afterwards, I had a dream in which two groups were fighting. The next morning, I woke up hearing the word ‘Moldova.’ The conflict in my dream mirrored the tensions on the border between Russia and Europe; Moldova sits right on that border. It’s the poorest country in Europe. Many people leave to work abroad, leaving their children behind with grandparents, or sometimes even neighbours. I thought to myself: I have to do something. I asked around and met a Dutchman who had built a factory in Moldova to tackle unemployment. Eventually, I went there myself. I’m now working on a project to develop a centre for elderly people, which connects perfectly with my experience in hospital construction.”

‘I hate hobbies’

“When people asked me if I’d spent my retired years picking up hobbies, I was almost offended. He continues with a smile: “I hate hobbies. I don’t like the idea of entertaining myself to pass the time when instead I could be using my experience to help others. The journey I started on when I was younger isn’t any different now. I’ll keep looking for the things that add value and purpose to my life, but also to the lives of others.”