Mick in South Africa

Participant

Mick

Programme

Internship

Country

🇿🇦 South Africa

Duration

7 weeks

Short bio

Mick, 20, graduated from Cios Haarlem, hobbies are mainly hanging out with friends and the odd festival.

How satisfied were you with the support from Holland?

I was very satisfied. We were well informed long in advance, including about everything we had to arrange before the adventure could begin. Looking back, we set off on the trip of a lifetime well informed and motivated!

My story

“In short, this period was an unforgettable experience full of sport, culture and friendship, a memory we will treasure forever.”

Mick · internship in South Africa

The adventure began on 10 April, when we flew to Cape Town together for our internship in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. After a day in Cape Town we travelled on to our accommodation, where we would live for the next seven weeks. We were welcomed there very warmly and with open arms.

The first week was all about introductions: getting to know the culture, the surroundings and the people around us. We went to the beach, played team-building games and ended the week at a beach bar. After this start our internship began: giving sports lessons and keeping children entertained at the primary school. I mainly taught rugby and football, sports that are hugely popular there. The children were enthusiastic and joined in with real passion. What has stuck with me most is that even with very little equipment you can still put together a really fun and effective lesson.

Besides the internship work, there was also time to relax. Every week we went to a karaoke bar, which was not only great fun but also helped keep the bond within the group strong. The supervision was generally good, although it was sometimes a challenge that our supervisors spoke English while most of the participants were Dutch. Still, we could always go to them whenever something was bothering us.

During our time there we also got to know local people, with whom we’re still in touch every day. The friendships we built feel close and special, and it’s lovely to hear how life is carrying on there now.

After eight weeks of internship we finished our stay with three days in Cape Town. There we explored the city and visited the highlights: we climbed Table Mountain and saw the main sights. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

In short, this period was an unforgettable experience full of sport, culture and friendship, a memory we will treasure forever.

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

Be well prepared and try to exchange money into the currency of where you’re going before you leave Holland. But the most important thing is: enjoy every second you’re there, because before you know it the time is already over:)