Laurie in South Africa

Participant

laurie

Programme

Internship

Country

🇿🇦 South Africa

Duration

8 weeks

Short bio

Hii! My name is Laurie and I’m 19 years old. I’m currently in the final year of the Sport and Movement Pedagogy course at Summa in Eindhoven. In everyday life I do a lot of sport. I play hockey and I enjoy running and road cycling. I also think it’s important that everyone gets the chance to do sport, even when that might not be (or no longer be) so straightforward. For example, I give swimming lessons to children with disabilities and I work at a rehabilitation centre. I love travelling and discovering new adventures, and I’m a real children person:)

How satisfied were you with the support from Holland?

Before my adventure to PE began, I had a lot of (online) contact with Ruben. I could go to him with all my questions and I really appreciated that. He was always available and replied quickly, which made it easy for me to fill in my internship forms from school. Ruben prepared me well for my trip and he was really interested and involved. Once I was back in Holland, he was also really keen to hear my stories.

My story

“My friends, the locals, the mamas, Dora (the dog) and the children will always have a place in my heart.”

laurie · internship in South Africa

During my Sport and Movement Pedagogy course I got the chance to do an internship abroad. When I heard this, I knew straight away: I want to do this! I had been on holiday to South Africa before and was hugely impressed by the country. I soon knew for sure that I wanted to go back, this time to teach sports sessions to children. I came across The Power of Sports on TikTok, and my interest was sparked immediately. I got in touch with Ruben well in advance and quickly received an enthusiastic reply.

Then in August the time had come, I went to South Africa on my own! I found that a bit nerve-racking, but once I arrived I was given a warm welcome straight away by the staff and the other volunteers. I arrived on an arrival weekend, so I got to know the other volunteers really well straight away and we were able to do lots of fun activities right from the start.

Personally, I did coaching, childcare, swimming and teaching. I found this really educational and fun, so I’d recommend everyone to have a go at everything at least once. I loved seeing that the children always had so much energy and enthusiasm. That gave you lots of energy yourself and made you want to make the sessions as fun as possible. You’re also really appreciated by both the children and everyone else in South Africa.

At the end of the day we always went back to the accommodation, where you live with all the volunteers/interns. I really liked that, because you really get to know each other and you never feel like you’re on your own. We also did lots of fun activities together, such as a day trip to Jeffrey’s Bay, playing football, singing karaoke at Barneys, going to Beeryard, a weekend in Mossel Bay and lots more fun things!

Every weekend there was also a fun activity planned, and you could choose for yourself whether to go or not. I thought the weekends were absolutely brilliant and they always flew by. My highlights were definitely the safari, the bungee jumping, skydiving and the elephant rescue. These are memories I will never forget!

My friends, the locals, the mamas, Dora (the dog) and the children will always have a place in my heart. I had an unforgettable time and this was a truly wonderful experience!!