Conrad in South Africa

My story

Hi, I’m Conrad!

I’ll give you a picture of what I experienced in 2 months during my internship with United Through Sport in South Africa.

ARRIVAL WEEKEND:
It started with an arrival weekend, when I arrived in Port Elizabeth after 2 flights from Amsterdam and Johannesburg. During this weekend we were told about safety in the area, the organisation, the culture and history of South Africa, and we had a tour of the townships. During the tour of the townships we were also served a delicious smiley (a sheep’s head), which we then ate with all the volunteers. Honestly, it tasted pretty OK!

MAMAS:
Before I share my story with you, it’s important to know that besides your own mother, you have 3 other mamas. The ‘mamas’ make sure you get fed and that your bedding is washed. Do call them mama and always give them a big hug. They are truly amazing women!!

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
To give you a quick idea of what a normal week looks like, I’ll share my own weekly schedule with you. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays I did coaching, and on Wednesdays I did teaching. Coaching starts at 09:30 on Mondays and at 8:45 on the other days. Teaching starts at 7:30 every day. During coaching you teach for an hour at each school, after which you move on to the next school. Depending on the number of volunteers, you teach either alone or with others. You can say which sport you’d like to coach yourself. During teaching you stay at 1 school and can say which class you’d like to join. You can also choose to switch classes if you want. I coached tennis and football myself. With football, bear in mind that the pitches aren’t as good as in Holland. But the children get excited about the smallest things and you’re treated like a celebrity!! Besides coaching, you also teach ‘learn to move’. This is for children aged 4 to 6 who are being introduced to sport at school for the first time. Here you mainly play simple games and put loads of energy into the children. The more energy you put into the children, the more you get back!!

ACTIVITIES:
Besides teaching during the week, there’s also a programme for the volunteers in the evenings. Every Monday there’s games night, where the managers organise different games!! Every Tuesday I went with all the volunteers to the karaoke bar: Barneyss! Personally I thought this was the best night, as you’re there with all the volunteers from all over Port Elizabeth. As well as the volunteers, all the international students go there too! Another bonus: all the drinks are sooo cheap. In other words, a cheap night, buuut definitely a really fun one!!
On Wednesdays and Thursdays you can choose to play football. Wednesday is open to everyone and you play casual matches against each other. On Thursdays there’s a 5-a-side league. During my time it got really competitive!! As there were lots of English players in my team, things got a bit too competitive at times, which resulted in swearing and nasty fouls. I also took part in a padel competition. I did this together with Morgan, and every Tuesday we played against locals from Port Elizabeth. Expectations were high, but unfortunately they weren’t always met.

WEEKENDS:
Every weekend there are activities you can plan or that are already planned. On my first normal weekend I went on safari. We stayed in a bush camp in the middle of the wildlife. Everything you picture when you think of a safari matched exactly what I had imagined a safari should be. From lions to elephants, the safari had everything!! Besides the safari, I also did white shark cage diving. This was a beautiful 5-hour trip to Mossel Bay, after which the next day you head out onto the open water by boat and then get into a cage to swim with the great white sharks. The scariest thing that happened to me was a seal trying to get into the cage, because the shark was trying to eat it. All in all, an amazing experience. You can also go bungee jumping from the highest bridge in the world and skydiving in Jeffreys Bay. Buuut not me! Far too scared. Besides skydiving in Jeffreys Bay, you can also surf really well there! I stayed at the hostel there for 3 weekends: Surfvibes!! A brilliant place to surf and chill!! Definitely recommended. I didn’t go there for 3 weekends for nothing. I also went to Cape Town for 2 weekends. Once with all the volunteers and once completely on my own. I can definitely recommend Villa Viva. It’s a hostel where lots of solo backpackers stay and where you can chill out really nicely with all the volunteers. It’s also in a safe spot and centrally located. Tips: climb Lion’s Head and Table Mountain.

Cheersss, Conrad!!!

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

My biggest piece of advice for future interns and volunteers is to dare to step out of your comfort zone and enjoy every moment. Do be prepared for culture shock, and it’s OK to feel a bit low now and then. It’s a very different culture and it simply takes time to adjust to it. So give yourself time for that.

DOWNLOAD Uber. This is THE way to get from A to B. Don’t go out on your own, but no matter how short the distance, make sure you book an Uber. Ubers are super cheap and a safe way to travel.