Demie in Indonesia

Participant

Demie

Programme

Internship

Country

🇮🇩 Indonesia

Duration

20 weeks

Short bio

Hi, my name is Demie and I’m 23 years old. I’m in the final year of my Education Studies course, which is different from most interns. That’s why I also have a different schedule from the others. As well as running sports activities, I also work at a secondary school as a pastoral care coordinator. In this role I support students, give training sessions and take care of various pastoral tasks.

How satisfied were you with the support from Holland?

I’m very happy with the support from Holland. Because my internship is different from that of most interns, who do a sport-related internship, I was in close contact with the support team both in Holland and in Indonesia. They found a suitable secondary school for me, so I can carry out my internship tasks properly. This was all neatly arranged in advance, so I set off for Indonesia without any worries and full of enthusiasm.

My story

“On top of all this, the children are incredibly grateful that we’re there. A child’s smile is honestly impossible to describe. The support staff are fantastic too. They’re really enthusiastic, involved and great fun!”

Demie · internship in Indonesia

Who wouldn’t want to go to Asia? I already had very high expectations beforehand, but in the end it was even better than I’d expected. When I arrived at the airport in Semarang, I was given a warm welcome straight away. When I got to the house, there was a welcome dinner right away, which was a relaxed and friendly way to get to know everyone.

From Monday to Thursday, sports lessons are given. In the mornings these are at primary schools, and in the afternoons at communities, primary schools or simply in our own neighbourhood. It’s so much fun, because no two days are the same. At the weekends there’s plenty of time to explore the island. There are of course holidays too, which gave me the chance to visit Bali, the Gili Islands and Karimunjawa.

The organisation also arranges lots of activities. I went rafting with the group, did the Bromo/Ijen tour (where we climbed volcanoes) and got to visit lots of beautiful waterfalls. You learn a lot about the culture here, but also about yourself.

People here are generally less well off than in Holland, but you notice that the focus is much more on connection and togetherness. In the evenings the whole street sits together, and there are lots of street food spots where everyone gathers. If you go for a walk in the evening, there’s always something going on in the neighbourhood.

On top of all this, the children are incredibly grateful that we’re there. A child’s smile is honestly impossible to describe. The support staff are fantastic too. They’re really enthusiastic, involved and great fun!