Sem in Curaçao

Participant

Sem

Programme

Internship

Country

🇨🇼 Curaçao

Duration

16 weeks

Short bio

I’m Sem and I’m 19 years old. I’m studying Social Work. Alongside my studies I also work as a sales adviser at a car dealership. I love watching football and I’m regularly at the stadium.

How satisfied were you with the support from Holland?

I was happy with the support from Holland. I had a conversation with Ruben beforehand, where he explained what the foundation does and what the projects are.

My story

“If you get the chance, you should definitely take it and go for it. You learn so much from it and you have a really great time. Don’t be too structured and just let things come to you.”

Sem · internship in Curaçao

For my course I had the chance to do an internship abroad for a few months. Through my school I came into contact with The Power of Sports, an organisation committed to making sport accessible to all children and young people.

Until then, my experience of giving sports lessons was limited to two years of running football training sessions. Even so, I felt at home in this project straight away, partly thanks to the good support and the clear structure of the days.

Every internship day had a familiar rhythm. In the morning we headed to a secondary school, where we helped set up and run football matches. Together with referees and coaches, we made sure the matches were sporting, fair and ran smoothly. In the afternoon we were busy at a primary school, where we offered a variety of sports and games activities during after-school club. This was often the moment the children really looked forward to, and so did we. In the evenings I ran football and goalkeeper training at a local football club, which was a great way to connect with older young people too.

Besides the sport, there was luckily plenty of free time as well. The island has so much to enjoy: beautiful beaches, lively nightlife, nice shopping centres and a rich, colourful culture. This combination of learning experience, sporting challenge and relaxation made it an unforgettable time.

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

If you get the chance, you should definitely take it and go for it. You learn so much from it and you have a really great time. Don’t be too structured and just let things come to you.