Wim has been walking the Nijmegen Four Days Marches for Dorcas for 40 years

Wim van Dorp (71) from Delft took part in the Nijmegen Four Days Marches for the 40th time this year. With his participation in the walking event, he raises money for Dorcas every year. This year, he walked for water projects in Kenya.

‘Everything went very well. On to next year!’ Wim reflects on the 2025 edition.

With his participation, Wim has raised over 2,000 euros for Dorcas’s water projects in Kenya. ‘Water is the most important thing a person needs. You can nicely link that to the Nijmegen Four Days Marches; drinking enough water always plays a big role there, too.’

Wim started walking the Nijmegen Four Days Marches forty years ago, encouraged by his father, who had already been taking part for years. ‘I thought walking was more for children or old people, not for a young lad like me,’ Wim says. Yet his father persuaded him, and he joined in once.

He appeared at the start untrained. ‘It was very tough. I crossed the finish line more dead than alive.’ Yet from that moment, Wim was hooked. ‘It was fantastic. The atmosphere, the people, the whole spectacle. I really caught the walking bug.’

Wim decided to take part again the following year, and every year after that. A total of forty times. However, he never walked together with his father. ‘Because of his age, my father walked the shorter distance, so we never started at the same time. We did meet each other along the route sometimes. My father passed away two years ago. For me, taking part now feels like a tribute to him.’

Except for once, Wim has completed every edition. ‘My grandmother had passed away and was buried on the last day of the Nijmegen Four Days Marches. As the eldest grandson, I had to be there, of course. If you miss a day, you are excluded and unfortunately do not receive a cross.’

Besides raising money during the Nijmegen Four Days Marches, Wim also supports Dorcas in other ways. For 35 years, he has been collecting clothing and other textiles. The reason was the conflict in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. ‘I saw images of the conflict on television. All those people fleeing. That affected me deeply, and I wanted to do something for them,’ Wim says.

He called the churches in his area and asked them to join a collection campaign for clothing and other items. Around ten churches from Delft and the surrounding area took part. The proceeds from the campaign were overwhelming. ‘A lorry even had to be organised to transport all the items.’

In the years that followed, Wim organised a collection campaign every year. He also placed a container at his house, where people could hand in clothing and other textiles throughout the year. The proceeds were always for Dorcas. ‘Dorcas is simply a reliable organisation that does what it promises. And what I find beautiful about this organisation is that it is Christian and bears witness to this by practically supporting people in need.’

The large-scale collection campaigns are now a thing of the past. However, the textile container is still prominently placed in Wim’s front garden. ‘I’ve stopped all the campaigns and now only collect textiles on a small scale.’

And he continues to raise money for Dorcas through the Nijmegen Four Days Marches. He also plans to be at the start again next year. ‘I hope to continue as long as my health allows. It’s just so incredibly fun. I don’t like big crowds or all that music and noise at all. Yet I really enjoy it. Every time is actually the same, but each time it’s also different.’

19 September 2025