What inspired you to travel abroad?
As a young girl I was inspired by my teacher. She was a volunteer for UNICEF and that was something that inspired me to do something for another country. My dream to go abroad started when I did my study in sport and movement. They had a project to go to Cape Town, but unfortunately they did not choose me. From that moment I wanted to go.
When I finished sport and movement, I started studying social work. From the first year, I had plans to go abroad in the third year, because I always wanted to work in another country. I always had my teacher in my mind, and that was what kept me motivated to go abroad.
Also, my friend inspired me to go abroad, because she did her minor in Spain. I visited her there and when I saw her place, it motivated me more to go abroad. South Africa always got my attention, because I am really interested in their culture and the way of living in South Africa.
Hanne with her housemates and classmates enjoying going to new places together abroad.
Why did you choose Evolve Abroad?
My school, Avans Hogeschool, gave me the opportunity to go abroad. At my school we had a coordinator for the students who go abroad for an internship. He got me in contact with someone that knows Evolve Abroad who got me in contact with Evolve Abroad. From that moment, I had contact with Evolve Abroad and we had a Skype conversation. After that conversation with Evolve Abroad, I came up with options for internship placements. What I liked was that Evolve Abroad looked for something that would fit me as a professional and as a person.
What was your favorite part about Cape Town?
My internship was in Cape Town, Fish Hoek. I really felt welcome at my house and internships. At the Safehouse, I worked together with the social worker and director. Together with the social worker I gave group sessions and she took me and my friend to court or somewhere else, because she wanted to show us what she had to do to get the things that she needed and wanted to show us how things are done in Cape Town. At Bhongolethu, the teachers and volunteers were helpful. Everyone made sure that I was comfortable and wanted to show me the area.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
I think the coronavirus did. At first it started in the Netherlands. I looked at the newspaper and saw that the coronavirus started close to my hometown. At first that scared me, because I was worried about my family. They told me not to worry, that was hard for me because I was not close to them. Then it started in Cape Town. Every day I talked with my parents and what I should do, go home or stay? A few weeks later I saw on the news that South Africa planned to go in lockdown, and that moment changed my life. I was not ready to leave, but I was forced to leave. However, this event has motivated me to go back.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
I lived in the house of the Evolve Abroad owner, so they gave me a house to live in and they were always close by. Every day I had a conversation with the student counsellor. She came in to chat with us about the day and asked us if we needed something. I worked closely with the director of Evolve Abroad for the programme at Bhongolethu. I uploaded everything to Google Drive and she gave me feedback, and if I needed a conversation with her I could let her know. On the weekend there was always someone to call for emergencies. They were always there for us, and they gave us coursework.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
The next time I think I would do more research about insurance. We rented a car with not all of the insurance that we needed, which was not something that we expected to deal with. This would not have happened if I thought about it before I chose the option to rent a car. The next time I would rent a car and arrange a car before I go.
As a person, I think I would relax more and just go with the flow, because here in the Netherlands time is time and everyone is in a hurry. South Africa is more relaxed.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
Five days a week I worked at Bhongolethu and the Safehouse. Three days at Bhongolethu and two days at the Safehouse. My friend brought me to Bhongolethu and together we went to the Safehouse. Every morning we drove together to our internships. At Bhongolethu I spend every morning in the class and in the afternoon I went to the office to work on the programme. At the Safehouse we gave group lessons and had some outings with the women. After every day we had a chat with Evolve Abroad about our day. After that we cooked dinner together and played some games.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time most?
Every weekend we did something else. What I enjoyed was exploring Cape Town. Every Saturday we did something more active and on Sunday more relaxed. Bo-Kaap was the first place that we visited during our stay in Cape Town. Lions Head was something that we did in the second weekend. What I liked was that there were a lot of different things to do. I liked the combination between culture and nature, because I am a person who likes to do active things, like climbing, swimming, and surfing. But, I also can enjoy a more calm activity.
Hiking near Fish Hoek
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
I lived in the house of the director of Evolve Abroad. She had three rooms with two beds in the room. I had a room downstairs and I had my own kitchen and bathroom. Upstairs we had a swimming pool and shared living room. What I liked about the accommodation was that I had enough space for myself. It had nice, calm surroundings. I also liked that there were not more than 6 students in the house, because I prefer to live in a smaller house with not that many people.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
There are lots of projects that you can do. What Evolve Abroad does is look for a place that will benefit you the most. You can tell them what you like and what you are looking for in your time abroad. Before you go, check if everything is set up in the right way, so you do not get surprised (i.e. insurance).
Ask all the questions that you want to ask. Evolve Abroad is willing to do what is best for you and make you as comfortable as you can be. Do not let someone or something stand in your way and just go! The organisation will look after you, but you have to ask for help by yourself.
Would you recommend Evolve Abroad to others? Why?
Yes, I would recommend my program to others, because I learned a lot in the short period. I was there for my internship for my Social Work study. At one place I worked with a social worker and I learned about how she works and what she had to do as a social worker. It was different from the things that I had to do in the Netherlands, but sometimes we had things in common. For me I experienced working as a professional, but also I learned a lot about myself as a person.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
I think that it is good to go out of your comfort zone, because it will challenge you to do things that you never would think of doing in your normal life. At home I live with my parents and younger brother. For me to live on my own was what benefited me the most, because I had to make the decisions for myself and trust myself. It helped me to go out of my comfort zone and that is the reason why I grew as a person. You can do what you want to do, but I always had someone to talk to from Evolve Abroad.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
It made me realise what I want to do and what I love. Unfortunately, I was forced to go home and that was the worst part for me. I came home and I cried, because I felt like I was not ready to go home. From that situation I learned that I should do the things that I really want to do to make a difference in my life, and so I am not leaving things unfinished. I had so much more to learn and explore in South Africa, so now I am more motivated to go back! My time abroad also changed my point of view about South Africa, because now I learned how things work in South Africa.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
For me it means that I do things 100 percent. What I like the most about traveling was seeing the people that I worked with grow. I put effort in with them, and to see the result of that kept me motivated. The process that I went through means a lot to me. I stepped out of my comfort zone and it brought me to the most beautiful place. I met new people and shared a lot of special moments with others.
Meaningful travel also means that you are doing things from the heart. If you are not doing things from your heart, I think you would not get as much out of it.
