Jill in South Africa

My story

Where do I start, hahaha. My time in South Africa was one big experience. I did a nine-week internship there and everything was brilliantly organised from the start. You just have to get used to TIA, This Is Africa 😂. Times change, plans change and sometimes things go a bit differently than you expected. But you get used to that really quickly. Just take it easy and go with the flow.

We were taken to the schools by minibus and picked up again afterwards. At the schools I taught different sports lessons to younger and older children. Those kids were amazing. They were so excited and happy whenever you came back. You really notice how little you sometimes need to give children a fun afternoon. Just playing sport together, laughing and keeping busy.

My absolute favourite was teaching swimming. The water was sometimes ridiculously cold haha, but I loved doing it. Besides that you also taught regular sports lessons outdoors and at the schools. Everyone had their own schedule, so some people finished earlier than others. But usually we were back by the afternoon, and then the second fun part of the day began.

Because the place we stayed at was a real vibe. We had a swimming pool and a shared space where you could play pool or table tennis or just hang out together. So if you finished your lessons early you could relax by the pool. And believe me, we had no problem with that 😂.

We were really well looked after at home too. Breakfast and lunch were taken care of and the mamas cooked for us. They made our beds and kept everything tidy. We did still have to do our own laundry back then, but even that ended up being something we did together.

I shared a room with six girls and I think about ten of us shared a bathroom with three showers and one toilet. Reading that, you might think: help 😂. But it was actually one of my favourite things. You really live together. Whenever we went out, everyone was picking outfits, doing their hair and getting ready at the same time. Complete chaos, but fun chaos.

And of course we went out and about too. With Uber you could easily get anywhere, and as a group we did plenty of fun things and went to parties. In those nine weeks a group like that becomes a kind of little family. You play sport together, work together, eat together, go out together and practically live on top of each other.

So yes, nine weeks of loads of sport, kids, the pool, parties, TIA and above all lots of new people. You just have to go in with an open mind. Don’t expect everything to go exactly like at home, and sometimes just go with the way things work there. For me it was a brilliant time and an experience I’ll never forget.

What advice would you give to those who come after you?

My motto: “I’m just living my life and I’m still alive.” And that really says it all. Join in with the activities, say yes when someone suggests something spontaneous, get to know the locals, get out there and above all enjoy everything that comes your way.

And yes, sometimes you share a bathroom with ten people, the pool is freezing or a plan turns out completely differently. Just let it happen. Before you know it the weeks are over and you don’t want to go home at all.