Tim in Mauritius - The Power of Sports

Name
Tim

Duration of internship
10 weeks

Short biography
I am Tim, 19 years old, and I live in Groningen. For my Sports & Exercise program, I traveled to Mauritius for 74 days with two good friends of mine.

Overall, I had a really great experience where I felt I could make a difference for the children in Mauritius.

How satisfied were you with the guidance in your home country?
I had enough time at school to prepare for this adventure. The teachers tried to prepare us as well as possible. Also, from The Power of Sports, there was clear communication, which was very nice.

My story

On March 28th, the three of us departed for Mauritius. In the months leading up to the trip, we tried to prepare ourselves as well as possible. This included vaccinations, costs, culture, work, and activities on the island. We came to teach sports lessons at high schools and at a football club. The sports we taught were football, volleyball, netball, basketball, and gym.

At first, we taught at multiple schools per day, which was hectic but also very fun. After a few weeks, our international team split up daily so that we stayed at one school per day, which was more relaxed. This also gave us more free time during the day, which was very nice. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, we also gave football training at a club (Condos), which we rotated within the team. When we arrived, I thought I would only be teaching one sport (football), but that was not the case. We taught all the sports and rotated with the other coaches. We always taught in pairs, which turned out great because you quickly got to know each other well, and your skills in teaching other sports grew a lot.

When you think of Mauritius, you immediately think of beaches, palm trees, friendly people, and sunshine. It is a beautiful tropical island with some of the most stunning beaches in the world. We had plenty of free time to explore the entire island and see all the beautiful spots and activities. We went on safari twice, swam with dolphins, booked an Airbnb for a weekend on the other side of the island, and every weekend we rented scooters to explore the island.

The accommodation was very luxurious, with a large swimming pool and palm trees in our garden, and it was only a 3-minute walk to the beach or to restaurants.

All in all, I had a really great experience where you feel like you made a difference for the children in Mauritius. Besides that, you build a bond with the children, which is very nice. They are very grateful and always happy to see you.

I hope to see the project continue to grow, and I definitely recommend going to Mauritius!