Arnold in Argentina

Participant

Arnold

Programme

Internship

Country

🇦🇷 Argentina

Duration

20 weeks

Short bio

Hi, I’m Arnold and I’m a fourth-year Sport Studies student. I’m 24 years old and I work in a kitchen as a chef. In my free time I love playing football and I’m always up for other sports or games. I also love travelling and taking on new adventures.

How satisfied were you with the support from Holland?

From my very first contact with Ruben I felt an instant connection. As an intern/volunteer you really are brought into the story of The Power of Sports. They took my wishes and questions seriously. The communication was also always really relaxed and they replied quickly.

My story

“One of the best moments of my internship was when I saw that the new programme was actually making a difference to the children and young people in the neighbourhood.”

Arnold · internship in Argentina

During my internship I worked on my final-year research project. Together with the local team of El Poder del Deporte, I set up a new programme in La Matanza. I learnt an enormous amount from networking, getting to know the community and building special relationships. During this time I also supervised other volunteers and interns, who came from all sorts of different cultures. Making new friends from so many countries was a unique experience and made my stay even more enjoyable.

One of the best moments of my internship was when I saw that the new programme was actually making a difference to the children and young people in the neighbourhood. The smiles, the involvement of the local teachers and the gratitude of the community made me feel that together we are really changing something.

During my stay I also tried to travel as much as possible in the holidays, on public holidays and at weekends. I’d recommend this to everyone: I went to Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Argentina itself also offers a huge variety of unique places to discover. What’s more, Buenos Aires is a city with endless things to offer; you certainly won’t get bored here.

During my internship I also grew a lot on a personal level. I learnt to adapt to a new culture, to deal with unexpected situations and to take responsibility within an international team. This experience has given my self-confidence and independence a huge boost. I also learnt a lot from everyday life in Argentina. The culture, the music, the way people communicate. Everything is different, and that’s exactly what I found so valuable. My Spanish has come on in leaps and bounds over the past few months too.

What advice would you like to give future interns and volunteers?

My advice for future interns/volunteers would be: be flexible, be open to everything that comes your way and take the initiative. This experience is what you make of it: the more you put in, the more you get out. Get to know the locals, get out and about, travel and enjoy the rich culture of Argentina and South America