Dr. ir. J. (Jasper) Kappen started his career at DSM after having studied chemical engineering at the Technical University of Delft. He subsequently worked as a process engineer and logistics project manager. To share his knowledge and experience he started to give training in logistics and change management.
After working some time abroad as a volunteer in several projects he decided to study Medicine at Rotterdam University. He finalised his PhD in immunology in 2015 and he now is a pulmonary physician.
In 2003 – 2004 Jasper and his wife Flora worked a year as volunteers for Maharogi Sewa Samiti, the organization that was founded by Murlidar Devidas (Baba) Amte in 1951 and which has now grown into a widely known charitable institute comprising a colony of more than 2000 handicapped people, called “Anandwan” and located at Warora, a hospital and social center for tribal people, called “Lok Biradari Prakalp” and located at Hemalkasa, and a social and agricultural project located at Somnath. During their stay Jasper and Flora realized a project for the curing and rehabilitation of lepers and to supply training and housing for handicapped people, tribal people and youth with a poor background. They also raised funds for this project in India, Europe and the USA. Their work as volunteers at Maharogi Sewa Samiti brought them into close personal contact with Baba Amte and his sons Vikas and Prakash. Prakash and his wife Mandakini are physicians, who in 1973 founded a hospital and social center for tribal people at Hemalkasa in the middle of a large inaccessible forest area in central India. In the hospital nowadays more than 40.000 tribal people receive medical treatment annually. They come from 1000 small villages in an area with a radius of 150 km.