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Speech-to-text model for keyword spotting applications in the Papiamento language within a healthcare environment
No full textThis study presents the development of a speech-to-text(STT) keyword spotting (KWS) system for the Papiamento language designed to be used in healthcare settings in Aruba. Although widely spoken across the former
Leeward Netherlands Antilles, Papiamento remains absent from most mainstream voice recognition technologies, such as Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa. This gap reflects a broader issue in AI technologies where low-resource languages, such as Papiamento, face barriers to digital inclusion due to limited data availability, lack of localization tools, and minimal investment in tailored solutions.
This research adopts a machine learning-based approach inspired by the Speech Commands dataset developed by Warden, 2018. Collaborating with medical professionals from the Instituto Medico San Nicolas Hospital (ImSan) provided essential Papiamento healthcare keywords that were eventually recorded by local participants using a custom-built web-based recording tool, resulting in a dataset containing 16800 samples. Then, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained to classify these keywords accurately and was later converted to a TensorFlow Lite (TFLite) model for deployment on a Raspberry Pi smart speaker prototype. This implementation applies core software engineering practices, stakeholder interviews for requirements elicitation, iterative refinement of system goals, and use-case modeling based on real-world Aruban healthcare scenarios, to ensure both technical robustness and practical relevance.
This study also contributes to technology and engineering by demonstrating a deployable, edge-optimized speech system for Papiamento. It offers a blueprint for similar efforts in other underrepresented communities. The results of this study indicate that the model achieved an accuracy of 96.7%, suggesting that it is feasible to implement Papiamento-compatible STT systems in real-world healthcare settings. However, this study also acknowledges limitations, such as data set size, pronunciation variability, and audio quality issues that need to be addressed in future studies. Although this topic is still in development, this research lays the foundation for AI-driven language inclusivity. It provides a promising starting point for future studies to expand STT support for underrepresented languages
Beyond the Shoreline: A Case Study of the Impact of Covid19 on the Socio-Economic and Cultural Development of the Craft industry.
No full textThis thesis explores the socio-economic and cultural impacts of the craft industry in Aruba, with attention to how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped its resilience and what policies are needed to strengthen the sector. Guided by the question of how crafts contribute to cultural preservation, social inclusion, and economic diversification, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and thematic analysis supported by SWOT and TOWS frameworks. The findings highlight crafts as vital yet vulnerable, underscoring the need for accessible, inclusive policies. Key concepts include cultural identity, resilience, diversification, and sustainable development
Juridisch Onderzoek met Impact
No full textOp 29 april van 18:30 - 20:30 uur werd door de Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid een follow-up bijeenkomst georganiseerd naar aanleiding van de eerdere onderzoeksavond op 13 maart 2025. De uitkomsten van deze avond hebben geleid tot waardevolle inzichten. Deze vervolgsessie is gericht op het verder nadenken over hoe kennis uit onderzoek effectiever benut kan worden om de maatschappelijke impact van onderzoeksbevindingen te vergroten en een maatschappelijke transformatie te bevorderen. Het doel was om, in overleg met stakeholders, zoals publieke diensten, professionals en organisaties uit het maatschappelijke middenveld, en andere gebruikers van onze onderzoeksresultaten, strategieën te identificeren en te ontwikkelen waarmee relevante maatschappelijke actoren effectiever betrokken worden bij onderzoek en onderzoeksbevindingen een bredere maatschappelijke impact kunnen hebben. Daardoor kunnen onderzoeksbevindingen uiteindelijk effectiever gebruikt worden door publieke, private en maatschappelijke stakeholders
Conference report Dutch Caribbean Chair for Slavery Studies, Aruba, November 18-20, 2024
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Understanding and Promoting Water Consumption Among Children in Aruba Using the Social Network Intervention Approach
No full textSUMMARY IN ENGLISH
This summary provides an overview of this dissertation, titled “Understanding and Promoting Water Consumption Among Children in Aruba Using the Social Network Intervention Approach.” The dissertation comprises a general introduction (Chapter 1), followed by three empirical studies, each outlining its aims and findings (Chapters 2, 3, and 4), and ends with a general discussion and conclusion (Chapter 5).
Chapter 1—General Introduction
Childhood overweight and obesity present a critical public health concern, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that 20% of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 were overweight or obese in 2022, an increase from 8% in 1990. These unhealthy weights are a problem among Caribbean islands as well. Scientific research and intervention endeavors in the Caribbean region are needed. However, the Caribbean region is underrepresented in these endeavors compared to North America and Western Europe. Within the Caribbean, Aruba is worrisome because health authorities found percentages of overweight and obesity that are twice as high as the WHO’s estimate. To contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and children’s right to health, this research project aimed to contribute to improving children’s health in Aruba.
One of the major factors associated with childhood obesity is the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Researchers have found high SSB consumption patterns in the Caribbean. Water represents the only natural calorie-free fluid. Promoting water consumption is a promising strategy for improving health results, such as preventing weight gain and dental cavities. Despite this knowledge, studies worldwide have shown that children consume insufficient amounts of water, which is also the situation in Aruba. This highlights a knowledge gap regarding water consumption promotion in Aruba.
Interventions that use social networks are shown to be effective in promoting health-related behaviors, like water consumption. Social network intervention entails appointing individuals as influential peers (e.g., individuals whom other peers respect, want to be like, and regard as good leaders) in a particular network who then spread specific targeted messages or behaviors in their network. Within these social networks, social norms are influential because individuals tend to be receptive to the perceived dietary behaviors (i.e., 121 Summary descriptive norm) and perceived approval or disapproval of the dietary behavior (i.e., injunctive norm) within their social network.
The general objective was to investigate the effectiveness of using social network intervention in promoting water consumption among schoolchildren in Aruba. This general objective was structured around three research aims. The first aim was to determine the potential use of social network intervention. The second aim was to identify theory-based water consumption determinants. The third aim was to investigate the effectiveness of an adapted intervention in the context of Aruba.
Chapter 2—The Potential of Using Children’s Social Networks at Schools
A pilot study was executed to examine the potential of using social network intervention in Aruba. Through replication of the Dutch Share H2O intervention, this study tested the effectiveness of the intervention on Aruban children’s water consumption, SSB consumption, and intentions to drink more water and fewer SSBs. It also tested the potential moderating effect of perceived descriptive and injunctive norms on the results. The Share H2O intervention entailed identifying and training a selected subgroup of children as peer influencers to promote water consumption among children in their school social networks. In the intervention group, children were exposed to peer influencers promoting water consumption, while the children in the control group were not.
Findings demonstrated that using social network intervention was promising because it improved water consumption when children experienced approval from their classmates regarding water consumption (i.e., positive moderation effect of injunctive norms). It also decreased children’s SSB consumption. Furthermore, the intervention effectively increased children’s intention to consume fewer SSBs, but it still did not increase children’s intention to consume more water—probably because their water intention scores at baseline measurement were already relatively high.
Chapter 3—The Behavioral Determinants of Water Consumption
Potential theory-based determinants associated with adolescents’ water consumption in Aruba were examined and compared to those in the Netherlands. Through the application of a model that integrated dominant theoretical perspectives in public health—including theories of planned behavior (attitude, behavioral intentions, norms, perceived behavioral control), social norms (descriptive and injunctive norms), and self-determination theory (i.e., intrinsic motivation)—the most important water consumption determinants were identified.
Findings demonstrated that intrinsic motivation, descriptive norms of classmates, attitude, and perceived behavioral control were associated with water consumption among Aruban adolescents. Furthermore, it showed that the association between water consumption and both intrinsic motivation and descriptive norm in Aruba was stronger than in the Netherlands. This implied that it is even more important for Aruban adolescents than Dutch adolescents to be intrinsically motivated or to perceive their friends often consuming water to drink more of it themselves.
Chapter 4—The Effectiveness of Kies Awa, a Social Network Evidence-Based Adapted Intervention Promoting Water Consumption
Informed by findings from the preceding Aruba-specific studies (Chapters 2 and 3), the social network evidence-based adapted intervention Kies Awa (translation Choose Water) was developed. Key adaptations to the original intervention material entailed adding roleplay and educational materials to fit the Aruban context better. Children in the Kies Awa group were exposed to peer influencers promoting water consumption, while the children in the control group were not. The effectiveness of this Kies Awa intervention on children’s water and SSB consumption was examined, and the moderating effect of descriptive and injunctive norms on the intervention’s effectiveness was examined as well.
Findings demonstrated that the evidence-based adapted Kies Awa intervention effectively increased children’s water consumption overall, which was not moderated by social norms. It was also effective in decreasing children’s SSB consumption when children experienced disapproval from their classmates regarding SSB consumption (i.e., injunctive norm) at the start of the intervention.
Chapter 5—General Discussion
The discussion highlighted that the adapted Kies Awa intervention resulted in a more substantial overall increase in children’s water consumption compared to the previous piloted study. This indicates that social network intervention is effective and indicates the importance of adapting intervention material within social network intervention in underrepresented contexts like Aruba in terms of health interventions. This means incorporating the social environment and context-based adaptations into intervention policy and practice is important.
Before discussing the implications and suggestions for future research and intervention practice, the general limitations were addressed. This concerned limited generalizability, self-reported data, and limited measurement points.
The chapter pointed out that despite improvements in beverage consumption after Kies Awa, children still did not meet the recommended guidelines regarding non-caloric fluid consumption. To address this challenge, the
discussion proposed four interconnected areas for future research and intervention practice: enhancing peer influencers’ water promotion capabilities through co-creation, improving water access in schools, considering the
removal of SSBs from school premises, and exploring a synthesized holistic approach. This holistic approach could entail enhancing Kies Awa intervention through co-creation and implementing policy-driven changes in the school environment to facilitate sole access to water.
The dissertation highlights that children deserve a fair chance at a healthy childhood by growing up in school environments that encourage an even healthier lifestyle. Therefore, the dissertation concluded by emphasizing children’s global right to a healthy childhood
Sustainable Agricultural Entrepreneurship in Aruba
No full textBased on the Doughnut Economy approach (Raworth, 2017) and the Feenstra and Alofs’ (2020) framework for sustainable waste management in small island economies, this research highlights the connection of the four dimensions and emphasize the need for collaboration between government, entrepreneurs, and community in order to develop a sustainable agricultural system. Policy adaptation, tailored financial mechanisms, and an adapted education strategy are essential to transforming Aruba’s agriculture into a sustainable industry. This paper aimed to identify the challenges and opportunities for sustainable agricultural entrepreneurs in Aruba. This is done by focusing on four key dimensions: knowledge economy, sustainable agriculture business models, finance possibilities, and legal frameworks. Aruba’s reliance on food imports, currently over 99%, has highlighted the importance of developing local agriculture. The COVID-19 pandemic put more stress on the market but also created new opportunities because of the local mentality shift. This paper utilized a qualitative research approach to gather perspectives from agricultural entrepreneurs, policy makers, and industry experts to identify the barriers and enablers of sustainability in agriculture.
The findings reveal gaps in financial support, land access, and an outdated legal framework which hinders the growth of modern agricultural practices. Hydroponics, fungiculture, micro-greens, and syntropic agroforestry are all innovative models which seem promising, but face challenges such as high-operating costs, limited infrastructure, and inadequate policy support. Community involvement, knowledge-sharing, and education have been identified as key factors for growing the industry
The Impact of The Coronavirus Disease on The Labor Market of Aruba: A Qualitative Research of The Lived Experiences of The Unemployed Individuals and The NGOs That Provided Aid
Full text linkThe aim of this study is to provide insight into the lived experiences of individuals that lost their jobs due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market in Aruba, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their efforts to help. With Aruba’s economy heavily reliant on tourism, the pandemic's abrupt halt to global travel led to massive job losses and a rise in unemployment from 5.2% in 2019 to 8.6% in 2020. Government interventions such as wage subsidies and unemployment benefits (FASE) were introduced but often delayed, leaving many individuals without timely support. This caused severe financial hardship, with many unable to meet essential expenses, leading to housing instability and increased dependence on family or savings. The psychological impact was equally severe, with participants reporting anxiety, depression, emotional breakdowns, and family conflicts due to uncertainty and social isolation. Physically, individuals reported weight gain, fatigue, and unhealthy coping behaviors like smoking and overeating. However, some demonstrated resilience by maintaining physical activity and healthy eating habits. Socially, while many lost the structure of work-based relationships, others deepened family bonds or found support through church communities and digital communication. NGOs such as Red Cross Aruba, CEDE Aruba, and Fundacion Pa Nos Comunidad faced significant operational and financial challenges, including limited coordination, resource shortages, and increasing demand.
Nonetheless, they adapted by forming partnerships, engaging volunteers, and supporting government relief efforts. Community-based initiatives like TV programs and hotlines also emerged as key support systems. Overall, this research reveals both the vulnerabilities and resilience of Aruba’s labor force and support networks. It underscores the need for stronger social safety nets, better NGO coordination, and proactive mental and physical health Interventions to mitigate the long-term effects of similar crises in the future