Ruben in South Africa

Participant

Ruben

Programme

Internship

Country

🇿🇦 South Africa

Duration

5 months

Short bio

My name is Ruben and I’m 22 years old. I live in Amsterdam with my best friends. I’m studying Sport, Management & Entrepreneurship at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. It’s a really cool course, because you can do an internship wherever you like. The options are endless 🙂
I work as a group leader at Woest Zuid (after-school club). My biggest hobbies are ice hockey, snowboarding and listening to music.

How satisfied were you with the support from Holland?

I’m really happy with the support from Holland. I had good contact with Ruben Baarda before, during and after my trip. Ruben was always open to thinking things through with me and that was great! Thanks so much for that!!!

My story

“All in all it was an adventure never to forget. You get a unique insight into South African life, you learn a lot about yourself and you grow as a person.”

Ruben · internship in South Africa

The second semester of the 3rd year of my course consisted of an internship. I thought it would be cool to do it in South Africa. After a few good meetings with Ruben Baarda I made the decision and went to Port Elizabeth for 5 months.

Looking back on my time, it really flew by. It was also a period with ups and downs, but I’m proud of myself for daring to take this step. Living on another continent with a different language and culture takes a lot of getting used to. Because I was in Port Elizabeth for so long, I saw loads of volunteers come and go. It’s brilliant to get to know so many new people, but it’s also hard to see newly made friends leave.

During my internship I focused on sports coaching. At United Through Sport (UTS) you can choose which sport you coach. I chose football. Halfway through my internship there were no hockey coaches left, so UTS asked whether I wanted to do it. At first I didn’t think it was a good idea, but in the end hockey turned out to be even more fun than football.

Alongside sports coaching, my internship also had a theoretical part. I chose to research group processes, because I noticed that UTS could still develop in the way they handled groups. In the end I delivered an advisory report in which UTS can find information and tools on how best to support groups.

So during the week I was busy with sports coaching and my research report. On top of that, UTS organised loads of other activities, such as 5-a-side football, games night, wellness Wednesday and weekend trips. The weekend trips were quite pricey, but definitely worth it. Through the weekend activities you discover more of the country, and staying at the accommodation is pretty boring. I’d also definitely recommend taking a trip to Cape Town, because what a world city it is. I’d definitely do this: Robben Island, wine tasting, watching the sunset on Signal Hill, Chapmans Peak Drive, climbing Lions Head and climbing Table Mountain.

All in all it was an adventure never to forget. You get a unique insight into South African life, you learn a lot about yourself and you grow as a person.

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

I’d like to point out that over a period of 5 months, not everything is sunshine and roses. Sometimes you have less fun days, just like back home really. And be well aware that summer and winter are the other way round in South Africa.