Nina in South Africa

My story

First of all, these 5 weeks at UTS in South Africa were truly fantastic and unforgettable! It was my first time outside Europe, and at the start I found it quite nerve-racking to fly on my own, because it was my first time doing that. But because we were already in a group chat with some people who were going to South Africa in the same weeks, I found out that someone else was on the same flight as me. We met at the airport, said goodbye to our parents and the adventure began! Even though we weren’t sitting next to each other on the plane, it was really nice to have someone with you during the changeover. It makes the journey feel a lot shorter. When we arrived in Port Elizabeth we were met along with lots of others and went to the UTS house in a minibus. When we got there we were shown around and could settle in a bit. In the evening we had a South African braai.

In the first week we were introduced to the whole team. We were shown around and had lessons about the culture, the different communities, hygiene and how to teach sports sessions. We also taught sessions to each other. That was really good fun too. We also all went to the mall together to get everyone a SIM card so we had data.

The week after that, the real teaching began. You taught five days a week and at the weekend you were free to do activities. Every day you visited three different schools, and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday you also had an hour of “Learn to Move” every morning. This was with the little ones, who climbed all over you every morning. You could tell that the children were missing a bit of attention at home. Sometimes they even argued over who got to hold your hand. And every single time, all those sweet smiling little faces came running towards you to give you a hug. With these kids we played all sorts of fun games like Grandmother’s Footsteps, Duck, Duck, Goose or little relay races. In the other sessions you coached one of the sports. Every Monday I taught cricket, which I didn’t even know anything about before I went to South Africa, but in the end I really loved teaching it. On Tuesdays I taught rugby, and on Wednesdays and Thursdays swimming. That was so cool to coach, because the children are often really scared of getting into the water at first. But step by step they dare to do more and more, and you build a bond with those children because they put so much trust in you. That’s a really wonderful thing to be able to do. On Fridays I taught dance, and wow, those kids have such a sense of rhythm, it’s truly incredible. It was also really fun when they taught us some dances too.

After teaching we always had time to chill. On Mondays we had a games night every evening where we always did really fun things like padel, a music quiz, garden volleyball, beer pong or a talent show. On Tuesdays we often all went to a bar called Barney’s, where there was karaoke night every Tuesday and there was plenty of singing going on. On Wednesdays we had local dish, when the mamas cooked something local for us. On Wednesday evenings we also had 5-a-side football. On the other days we went to the beach or chilled by the pool at the accommodation. Unfortunately in the first week I also managed to sprain my ankle ligaments, so I had to pay a visit to the doctor because my ankle was really swollen. At the doctor’s they took X-rays and I was given an injection in my bum for the pain and swelling. The advice was to keep my foot up as much as possible, but that was tricky with so many fun things to do, and I also really wanted to join in with the coaching, so we taped it up well and that helped a lot.

At the weekend you could do various activities. In the first week I went bungee jumping and in the second week I went skydiving. These were two things I had always wanted to do, and I’m so happy I got to do them in such a beautiful place, it was so cool. In the third week we first went on a drive-to safari and then went to Jeffreys Bay, a small surf village. That was also one of my real highlights. We went sandboarding and surfing there. In the evening we had a neon party and covered ourselves in face paint. The hostel we stayed at was really great, it’s called Island Vibes, definitely recommended. In the fourth week my childhood dream came true and we went on safari. We drove around the park all afternoon and later had dinner in the park. That was really great fun, we could have a drink by the campfire and then we set off on the overnight safari. That night we slept on the site in little huts with our own campfire spot. The next morning we were up early again to drive around the park once more and see which animals we could still spot. It was really amazing and our guide knew so much about the animals. In week 5 we went to Mossel Bay, which was also my last weekend, because from there I travelled on alone to Cape Town to spend another week with Selina, someone I met at UTS. In Mossel Bay we went shark cage diving, but unfortunately we didn’t see any sharks. We did see dolphins and seals though, and the experience was brilliant. We also did a hike along the cliffs and went swimming between the rocks. In the evening we all went out for dinner together and had a drink in the bar.

Sadly, the next morning I really had to say goodbye, and it was a lot harder than I had expected, even though a large part of the first group had already left. It’s just so lovely to see that in such a short time you can become such good friends and build such a close bond with each other that it simply feels like family. I’m so grateful for everyone I got to know on this adventure, the children I got to teach, the mamas, Ashie our handyman, the coordinators and all the other new friendships. Without them this wouldn’t have been such an amazing, but also really educational and wonderful, adventure.

That was my story, x

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

For the interns: start your internship assignments in good time, then you won’t have to worry about them later. Also try teaching sports you might not normally teach, because it’s really worth it and it’s great fun to try new things.