My experiences in kindergarten in South Africa

South Africa. This country has exceeded all my expectations and expectations, which I had through information from the guide and the Internet! I was surprised by this country every day from my first day in South Africa. I have never traveled to such a diverse and enriching country. So first I can say that I have not regretted the country selection!

Arrival and the first days

August 05th, 2018 was the day of my departure and during my flight I still had the feeling that these 9 weeks that I am away from home now would be half an eternity. But it turned out the way it always is when you do something with joy. Time just flew by. I was lucky and two more volunteers arrived with me, with whom I had a good connection right from the start and was able to share most of my experiences with them from day one.

My first days at the Student House were very exciting. Everything was still new for me and I met so many nice people, primarily my German flatmates, who had already settled in and settled into everyday life. I have no regrets about staying in a student house because it has many advantages. In the first few days, for example, in addition to the team's orientation program, the girls explained everything to me and introduced me to life in the student house, which was quite a change.

I've always said that I actually didn't need a guidebook because you get so many recommendations and tips from the exchange with the people there that are a thousand times better than a guidebook.

The work in the project

With the first days in the project, everyday life came. Yes, I was very excited on my first day at work and of course I wanted to make a good impression. I worked in a kindergarten, which is about 10 minutes away from the student house. The employees gave me a very warm welcome and were always warm and open to me from day one. The children in my group also won my heart from day one.

I was in a group of three-year-olds and four-year-olds, which I personally really liked. What I underestimated a bit is how exhausting a day in kindergarten can be. I really had fun with the kids every single day, but I came home exhausted every day. First of all, the children didn't really listen to us volunteers and often made fun of us. After all, you are used to the volunteers changing from time to time and not staying permanently.

So it took a long time before they listened to me. Secondly, it was also very exhausting for me to speak English all the time at work. One of my biggest fears was that, as an average student in a basic English course, my English was not good enough and that I would have problems communicating with both the employees and the children. It was really bumpy at the beginning, but it got better day by day. Towards the end of my stay I still had gaps here and there, but it was enough for kindergarten and everyday life.

But what made me really happy - every day anew - was that I could give the children love and affection and the children gave it back to me. Unlike in Germany, the teachers were very strict and, in my opinion, the children were punished too often and for too long in different ways. At first it was very strange for me, but after a while I accepted that the circumstances are different here and that the children are unfortunately not used to it any differently.

My working hours were from 8:00 a.m. to 13:30 p.m., so I still had a lot of free time every day, which I also used to do something with the girls from my house. But it was often the case that I just stayed at home and chatted with the girls because I was too exhausted.

Accommodation in the Student House

A disadvantage of the Student House for some can be that you are never really alone. You don't have your own room, there are shared bathrooms and there's always something going on in the living and dining area. Over time, there are sometimes disagreements between the girls and one or the other bitching. What should also not be forgotten is that in the house where an average of 13-18 girls live, quite a lot of dirt can accumulate. The dishwashing situation, for example, was always a sensitive issue where each of us had not always shown discipline.

Leisure time in South Africa

On the weekends you could also do more time-consuming things, such as going to the Cape of Good Hope, going on a safari or a road trip. There are always roommates who would like to do the same, so you get to know each other better and bond.

I rented a car with two roommates for my second month, which made things a lot easier. I can only recommend it because it makes you independent and, if you really use it, you can get away with it cheaper. Driving on the left involves some risks, but you really get used to it really quickly.

Personally, I haven't had any bad experiences with the RGV team on site. All of the staff were always helpful if we had any problems. Yes, it often took longer to get something done and there were often delays, but hey, that's the South African lifestyle! You get used to the relaxed nature of the South Africans pretty quickly. During my time in South Africa, I actually only had very positive experiences with the locals. I met most of the people very warmly, openly and cheerfully.

I hope I could give you a realistic insight and hope that you will have such an enriching time in South Africa, like me! 

My experiences in kindergarten in South Africa, by Paula K., March 2019