Lisanne in Indonesia

My story

From the very first moment I arrived in Indonesia, I felt welcome. The staff at Daya Krida (The Power of Sports in Indonesian) gave us a warm and heartfelt welcome. We stayed in one big house with a group of about ten other students and volunteers. They were mostly Dutch students and one French student.

Every day consisted of a morning and an afternoon session. In the morning we visited a school, where we played all kinds of games with the children. In the afternoon we usually ran volleyball or football training, depending on the day. Working with the children was the best part. They are so full of energy, curiosity and enthusiasm!

The language sometimes took a bit of adjusting to, because the children speak Indonesian and we, of course, speak Dutch. But that’s exactly what led to lots of funny moments. Thanks to the Indonesian lessons at Daya Krida, and because we kept learning more from each other as a group, communication got better every day. The children loved helping us with new words (and laughed at our pronunciation), which in turn created a lovely bond!

During some afternoon sessions we went to the “neighbour”, where we played fun games with children from the neighbourhood. This wasn’t specific sports training, but focused on fun and games. It was brilliant to see how the teamwork among the kids improved and how much they really enjoyed the activities. Their smiling little faces gave me so much energy.

Besides the work, there was plenty of time to discover Indonesia. At weekends we went on all sorts of trips, such as a visit to a volcano, a weekend in Yogyakarta and a trip to the island of Karimunjawa. These trips made the experience complete. Some activities were organised by the organisation, but you also had complete freedom to make your own plans. The staff were always ready to think along and help wherever needed.

My experience in Indonesia is one I will never forget. In Indonesia I learnt that kindness is a language everyone speaks! You have to experience it for yourself 😉

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

Just do it!! 😉 It’s amazing to get so close to the local people and really get a glimpse into their culture. I did my volunteering at the start of my trip and I can recommend that to everyone. As a volunteer you start your trip in a completely different way: you get to know the culture up close, pick up some of the language and immediately feel much more connected to Indonesia.