Written by You probably know Tinder. You definitely know Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat. Ever wonder as an expat family why there is no similar app for, well, expat/immigrant families? We actually did not. But we’re no expat family, aren’t we? So when we found out about MatchFamilies, we were thrilled! ‘The idea comes from my own experience as an expat/immigrant. I moved to Germany with my family 6 years ago and we needed to establish a new social circle from scratch not to feel lonely. I found it challenging because it takes a lot of time to meet like-minded people. It may actually take years until you find other cool families and develop lasting friendships’, Dzhangar Sanzhiev, CEO and founder of MatchFamilies shares with us. Dzhanghars aim with this incredible app is to bring families together. What’s not to love? Get ready to find like-minded expat families in the Netherlands now!
Expats in the Netherlands experience lots of loneliness and isolation and many of our students share this with us..
..but, as teachers of the Dutch language, we can give you the main tool to integrate and meet people – but we can’t meet hem for you. That’s where MatchFamilies comes in. With a Dutch course from LearnDutchOnline.nl and this – already famous abroad – app from our newest partner there’s nothing stopping you from living your best life in the Netherlands! Download MatchFamilies here in the Apple App Store and here in the Google Play Store now.
Who came up with the idea for MatchFamilies and why?
Dzhangar answers: ‘Why should it take years until you find other cool families and develop lasting friendships? In real life you have limited opportunities: through school/kindergarten friends of kids, work colleagues or a sport club. And I thought that technology can help here and make it quick and easy for families to find perfect matches. And make meaningful connections. That’s how the MatchFamilies app was born!’
MatchFamilies is available worldwide but focused on Europe and the USA. As of now you can use the app in English, German and Russian. Spanish will soon be added (and Dutch, too, we’ll make sure of it ;)).
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Why is the app essential? How will it help expat/immigrant families?
‘It helps people save tons of time and effort to meet their perfect matches living nearby. Your best friends might live just a block away from you but you don’t know. The app removes a lot of barriers because for adults it’s way more challenging to make new connections ‘than, for example, for kids. We are more shy, we are busy, and we don’t like uncomfortable situations’, the CEO replies.
Download MatchFamilies here to find like-minded expat families in the Netherlands now.
Dzhangar continues: ‘Our mission is to fight loneliness, isolation and lack of social integration among families by helping them improve their social lives, make meaningful connections, attend family-friendly events and find a support circle’
How is it already helping people? Where?
‘Over 6000 families are using the app in Germany and several hundreds in the Netherlands. These numbers are growing every day. We have thousands of matches, messages and new connections made via the app’, he answers.
MatchFamilies is not a dating app (like Tinder for example). It’s an app designed to connect fellow expat families online and offline – also on special MatchFamilies’ family events.
‘Our users love our onsite family-friendly events that are designed for people to make meaningful connections in a relaxed and informal atmosphere, while kids play. We are currently looking for ambassadors to help conduct our events in bigger cities of the Netherlands’, the founder of the app clarifies.
Who should definitely use the app?
‘All families and couples of any gender and age, with or without kids as well as single parents who want to meet new people, make friends, spend great time with other families living nearby. Both locals and internationals are welcome to use MatchFamilies’, Dzhangar answers.
What are the most important features of the app? Why?
‘The app is easy to use – after completing your profile we will suggest to you the profiles of other families who live nearby and have common interests, are of the same age group, have kids of the same age as yours etc. You can like such profiles and if they’ll like you back it’ll be a match. You can then chat and arrange a meetup, a picnic or whatever you want’, the founder replies.
The app is completely secure and your data is protected at all times, in line with GDPR regulations as well as all other current data protection regulations. You can also share feedback directly in the MatchFamilies app. If you see a suspicious profile you can directly report this in the app as well.
Dzhangar concludes: ‘You can also search for other families based on the criteria you are most interested in. The app has a community board where users can introduce themselves, ask questions, get tips and access useful family-oriented content and information about upcoming family-friendly activities and events. Our goal is to bring families together!‘
MatchFamilies is free to download and use. Here are the main free features:
- Explore suggested family profiles
- Search for compatible families nearby
- Chat with matched families and arrange meetups
- Access all content in our Community Board
Here are the links to MatchFamilies’ website and app stores:
Website: https://www.matchfamilies.com/