Margaret in South Africa
Participant
Margaret
Programme
Internship
Country
🇿🇦 South Africa
Duration
12 weeks
Short bio
My name is Margaret Tip, I live in Drenthe and I’m 25 years old. When I travelled to South Africa for a 3-month internship, I was a third-year Leisure & Events Management student at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences in Leeuwarden. The internship was part of the Sport and Adventure Tourism minor.
How satisfied were you with the support from Holland?
Yes, the support was good. There was plenty of contact with Ruben before, during and after the internship. Questions were answered quickly and the information was clear.
My story
My internship with United Through Sport in South Africa was one big adventure that I wouldn’t have missed for the world. The 3 months flew by.
The support I received from United Through Sport (both from Holland and in South Africa) was always good, so I set off well prepared and didn’t run into any problems. I spent my time at UTS together with around 15 other people my age from all over the world. Because you’re together pretty much every moment of the day, from early morning until late at night, you build close friendships and talk about lots of things together.
What made the biggest impression on me were the children I coached 4 days a week at various schools in the townships. Despite living in poverty and having nothing, the children are incredibly cheerful and never complain. They’re so grateful for and excited about the sports lessons that United Through Sport provides. Every time we arrived at a school on the bus, the children were already jumping and dancing behind the fences, waiting for us. Because I coached the same children every week for 3 months, I really built a bond with them, which makes it extra special. United Through Sport really makes a difference for these children and I’m glad I got to be part of it.
Because I was doing an internship rather than volunteering, I also worked in the office one day a week. On that day I worked on organising the Holiday Camp and helped out with other smaller projects. United Through Sport organises the Holiday Camp in the township at the start of the school holidays. For the children it’s the end of the coaching programme and also a happy start to the holidays. Children in South Africa are glad they can go to school, because it’s an escape from daily life in poverty, in which they are often neglected. So unlike in Holland, the holidays aren’t something to look forward to, but a period when there’s basically nothing for the children.
Besides working in the townships, there was also plenty of time to discover beautiful South Africa. Over Easter a few other interns/volunteers and I hired a car and went to Cape Town for a long weekend, stopping at beautiful places along the famous Garden Route on the way. We also often went away for shorter weekends, including to East London and Amatole/Hogsback. The stay in Amatole was one of the most special. Together with 4 others I stayed in a so-called ‘mud hut’ in the middle of the South African countryside, where we raised a glass with locals in a ‘pub’ (a little shack), baked bread the traditional way and learnt a few words of Xhosa. During the week there was also plenty of time to relax, and every Tuesday evening we went to the karaoke bar in Port Elizabeth, which was great fun.
Margaret’s photos
