“I have been interested in health and fitness for many years. So one day I thought, why not study it? And now I am planning to make a career out of it, too,” says expat partner Kim Van Nieuvenhove.
A new beginning
“After quitting my job in procurement, I left my hometown Antwerp and moved to Switzerland, where I initially concentrated on the family,” says Kim of her expat journey, which began seven years ago in Zurich. She now lives in Addis Ababa. “Although I was keen to explore new opportunities as an expat partner, to be honest, I wasn’t sure what I would do or what was even possible.”
Hitting the books
“It was after talking to Josien from Global Connection that I decided studying online would be a good option. It would give me the flexibility that I needed as an expat partner and a mother of three. It would also create an opportunity for me to establish a completely new career path. So with the support of the expatriating company, I signed up for a Health Coach course when I was in Zurich. There were three main components: Nutrition & Fitness, Anxiety & Stress, Wellness. After completing this course, I took another course on hormones to specialise as a Hormonal coach.”
What’s next?
“Through my studies, I became even more intrigued by the human body and how everything is connected. I was reading a lot of informative books about nutrition, exercise, sleep and holistic medicine as well as listening to science-based podcasts on these subjects. From sharing my learnings and discoveries with others (family members and friends), I realised that I truly love to empower others and give them the knowledge, tools and energy they need to have a healthy lifestyle. So I am very excited to now be setting up a portable business as a health coach, specialising in hormone changes.”
Sense of purpose
“It was obviously a huge contrast moving from Switzerland to Ethiopia. It definitely took us all a while to settle into a rhythm in Addis. As an expat partner I once again had to deal with feelings of uncertainty that come from being in a new place, where you don’t know anyone. But this time, I had a sense of purpose because I know that being a health coach is the goal. So step by step, I’m putting my business plan together and I’m excited to see how it goes!”
Photo: Kim Van Nieuvenhove
