by Rae Novotny
As the temperature drops and the seasons change, the International Women’s Club Eindhoven is hard at work for their annual Winter Market on November 21 at Cultuur & Kunst Eindhoven. While the first ever market is unknown, longtime member Goli Hendriks said, “What I do remember is the first year of my membership around 32 years ago, when the IWCE was mostly a Phillips Women’s club, I joined their yearly Christmas [Winter] Market in Son.”
The club’s Winter Market is their primary fundraising event of the year with the proceeds from their bake sale and auction going to a local charity. For a little over a decade the International Women’s Club Eindhoven donated to the Ronald McDonald Huis Zuid-Oost Brabant in Veldhoven, this year they selected an organization close to their hearts, the YvYa Foundation.
The YvYa Foundation is a local breast cancer organization whose mission is the “early and painless detection of breast cancer for everyone.” Founded in 2020 the foundation’s areas of focus are educating women on the signs of breast cancer so they can discover it earlier, and funding the development of the Early Warning Scan. They call their presentations “Boomerang presentations”. Foundation chairwoman Paulette Kreté explained, “the women are guided in an interactive way by experts with personal experience, gaining valuable and crucial insights. Early signs of breast cancer, subconscious avoidance behaviors, risk factors, and the consequences of late detection are made clear to them. This encourages women to take control of their own breast health. ” The Boomerang presentations are a major part of YvYa's fundraising strategy for co-financing the development of the Early Warning Scan.
The Early Warning Scan uses small cameras and projectors to create an accurate 3D model that can be analyzed for signs of breast cancer. “The Early Warning Scan is an innovative combination of computer techniques that detect changes in breast tissue. The scanner accurately records the shape, movement, colour, and temperature of the breast. This allows it to recognize patterns that are characteristic of a healthy breast and those that deviate from this. These deviations can be an indication of breast cancer and require further investigation,” explained Kreté.
The Jheronimus Academy of Data Science laboratory conducted tests with the first generation prototype. The second generation prototype underwent a second round of preclinical testing with 60 women in April 2025. “A third preclinical study is planned to highlight the differences between healthy breasts and those that have already undergone changes. After that, the Early Warning Scan will move to the Catharina Hospital for the official clinical study. There, 200 women with suspected breast cancer will be scanned before entering the diagnostic process,” said Kreté.
“We would like to reach as many women as possible with our breast cancer awareness program. Ultimately, our goal is for the Early Warning Scan to receive CE certification. Once that happens, women can be monitored throughout their lives, and breast cancer will no longer have a chance to devastate lives. Until then, women must be their own Guardian Angel.”
Along with the bake sale and auction this year’s Winter Market hosts over 27 local vendors and for the first time will host 2 additional charity booths from Rechter Handen and Books4Life Eindhoven.
Books4Life Eindhoven is part of a chain of second-hand bookshops run by volunteers with the proceeds going to charities. The Eindhoven location has in the past donated to Armoede Fonds, Soep & Co, Voedselbanken Bladel, and Ervaring die Staat Stadsateliers. IWCE Vice President, and book club member, Joanna Nowell said, “As a Book club, we agreed that it would be fitting to support this organisation, and their mission to make books accessible for all. With so many different nationalities represented in our group, we plan to donate not only English books but books in a variety of languages, making this an ongoing initiative."
Earlier this year, Rechter Handen was nominated and won the member vote for the IWCE annual donation. The program is designed for those who have become disconnected from themselves and, as a result, are unable to attend school or participate in the workforce. Rechter Handen offers support to young people dealing with challenges such as burnout, depression, gender identity issues, and more, helping them rediscover their strengths and build a meaningful future. According to Rechter Handen Board Member, Jolanda Helversteijn, they are bringing products designed and made by their students from recycled fabric, as well as Winter Market exclusive items.
Nowell said, “We are proud of the collaborations we are building with local entrepreneurs offering them the opportunity to connect with the international community and like-minded individuals, showcase their products, and grow their brands. At the same time, we believe that involving more charities deepens our connection to the local community and increases our awareness of the challenges faced by people in Eindhoven.”
The Winter Market will be open from 11:00 to 17:00 on November 21 at CKE Pastoor Petersstraat 180, 5612 LW Eindhoven. For more information visit iwce.nl/winter-market or contact wintermarket@iwce.nl