New volunteers in South Africa! Once again this year, motivated volunteers have started out on the weltwärts programme in Cape Town and the surrounding area. PLAY HANDBALL South Africa will be supported by five new faces as part of their development volunteer service. There will also be new volunteers in Kenya, although they will not arrive until mid-September. The new team members in South Africa are Zoe, Salome, Liv, Mathis and Laurids. They have already been able to gather some impressions during their first week in South Africa and are now about to start their exciting task. However, as you can’t start a programme like this completely unprepared, there was intensive preparation with a seminar week in Plön with our partner Kultur-Life, some online meetings and also a preparatory training session with PLAY HANDBALL after their arrival. But now it’s the turn of our new volunteers to tell us about themselves and their first exciting impressions:

Zoe DLRG Lette in Cape Town, South Africa: ‘After leaving school, I knew that I didn’t want to go straight to university, but rather spend some time abroad first to broaden my horizons. South Africa immediately appealed to me because the country is so unbelievably diverse. That’s why PLAY HANDBALL was the perfect organisation, because I love sport and at the same time you get to know the culture and people of South Africa, especially the children in the schools. I’m not actually a handball player, I’m a swimmer. But so that I don’t go into work completely unprepared, I prepared myself with a handball friend and was also introduced to the training by PLAY HANDBALL. For me, it’s a positive challenge to stand in front of the children every day, teach them handball and see how they learn with enthusiasm and joy. For me personally, it’s also a great opportunity to develop my sporting skills and learn more. I’m looking forward to the next few months, getting to know the country and the children better and passing on the joy of sport.’

Mathis from TG Biberach in Lotus River, South Africa: ‘I have been playing handball for about 10 years and have found my great passion in it. I would like to share this with others and perhaps awaken the same enthusiasm in young people. My motivation for living so far away from home is simply that I’m interested in other cultures and want to benefit from each other. What surprised me the most was that you realise the huge differences between rich and poor as soon as you arrive. Although apartheid is officially considered to have been overcome, the structures are still clearly recognisable.

Salome from TSV Handschuhsheim in Goedverwacht in cooperation with the Piketberg Sports Development Foundation (PSDF): ‘My handball career started in 2019, but didn’t really take off until 2022. I found my passion in sport and handball in particular, which I want to pass on to the children in South Africa. So far, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the hospitality, helpfulness and relaxed attitude of the South Africans. I’ve really enjoyed the few days I’ve spent here so far and I’m very excited to see what the rest of the year has in store for me.’

Liv from TS Mühlburg in Piketberg, South Africa: ‘I have been playing handball for 11 years and am now looking forward to a year of playing and training handball with the children in Piketberg. I’m looking forward to gaining experience off the field and growing with challenges. It was clear to me that I didn’t want to go straight to university after leaving school. I already did a gap year last year. The fact that I now have the opportunity here in South Africa to learn a lot about myself and other cultures and gain experience before I go to university, and to do so in connection with handball, is really great. What I love about handball is the fun, the challenge and above all the teamwork. I’m happy when I can infect others with this 🙂 I’m looking forward to immersing myself in the country and the culture, exploring the beautiful region here and having lots of unique moments with my host family.’

Laurids from KMTV in Bo-Kaap (Cape Town), South Africa: ‘Since the eighth grade, I have dreamed of going abroad for a longer period of time. Not just to travel, but to get involved in social or ecological projects. The PLAY HANDBALL project fulfils exactly what I had in mind. I realise that the great good fortune of being born in the richest part of the world is anything but a given. That’s why I want to combine my handball experience with the energy of the kids to do something good and try to open up new perspectives. The first few days in Cape Town were full of exciting but also crazy impressions. What impressed me most was the joie de vivre and hospitality of many people who are not always financially well off themselves.’

‘About two months before we all travelled to the African continent, we met all the prospective volunteers for the first time. We got on really well straight away. The week was not only fun, but also full of important and exciting content. We dealt with topics such as critical whiteness and racism, but also with our own role as role models and our own identity.

The seminar weekend was also a sporting weekend. As PLAY HANDBALL volunteers, we had the chance to take part in the HVSH’s basic coach training programme. Niklas from the HVSH taught us important basics about training structure, but also about behaviour and appearance as a coach. And who would have thought it: we also met Niklas again at our seminar in Cape Town. Together with Nicola from PLAY HANDBALL, he gave us a few helpful tips for training planning. Many thanks for that! After landing in South Africa, we went straight into an intensive week with lots of initial practical experience of handball training, historical and cultural background information and impressions. Above all, the informative city tour about the history of Cape Town has stayed in our minds. Thanks to Craig from Beyond Expectations for sharing all his insides of the South African culture and history. We are all still overwhelmed and are slowly processing all the impressions as a team.’, Laurids talks about preparing for their year abroad with handball.

Interested in volunteering with PLAY HANDBALL? If you are interested in volunteering in South Africa or Kenya, whether for a year in the Weltwärts programme or just for 2 to 6 months, please get in touch with us:

More in this category: From the short-term voluntary service at PLAY HANDBALL to COACH ABROAD » ‘Handball in School’ workshops attract enthusiasm in South Africa » Supercup inspires more than 300 youth for sustainable behaviours and handball » Adopt-A-Club launches fundraising campaign for the Bo-Kaap Handball Club » Start of Handball and Volunteer Season » Play Handball Supercup in Kenya » Our volunteers Paul, Konrad and Henning in Tansania » PlayHandball at the weltwärts conference in Kigali, Rwanda » Midterm Seminars in Botswana and Kenya » Interview with our team in Botswana » Friendly Tournament at the Observatory Junior School » Sport Day in Utawala, Kenya » Volunteer Arrival and PlayHandball in Botswana » PlayHandball as part of the GloKnoCo Project in Brighton » Sophia tells about her first weeks in Kenya » Martin Bergers handball experience in Africa » Linah tells about her experiences as a participant of the Trilateral Youth Coaches Encounter » Christian tells of his experiences as a volunteer in Lamberts Bay » PlayHandball part of the GloKnoCo School in Brussels » Lisza reports from her experiences as a volunteer in Cape Town » Mid-term seminar with our weltwaerts-volunteers » Simon tells of his experiences as a volunteer in Juja » Lars tells of his experiences as a volunteer in Darling » Kick-off-Weekend of the Trilateral Youth Coaches Exchange » Virtual exchange connects young coaches from Germany, Kenya and South Africa. » Re-launch of the Weltwärts Volunteer Program in Kenya and South Africa. » Community Talk with Louise Barends from Darling Outreach Foundation in South Africa » A year full of uncertainty, waiting and flexibility instead of experiencing South Africa as a handball volunteer. » Play Handball Corona Aid helps over 1000 people in South Africa and Kenya. » Midterm-Seminar and Partner Meeting » Léon reports from his experience as volunteer by our partner organisation Empower Gils Plus in Kisumu, Kenia » Jasper is one of the first volunteers in Kenya and reports from his experience » Take action for the future – the 4th SuperCup in Cape Town inspires 150 kids to take action for climate change » Hanna reports from her experiences in 2 different communities around Cape Town » Press Release – Play Handball SuperCup 2019 in Cape Town » Laura tells of her experiences as a volunteer in Cape Town » PendoAmani in Kenya & PLAY HANDBALL initiate Handball After School Program » From Blomberg to the Cape – As volunteer coaches in South Africa » Meet The Volunteer: Sophia experiences township life in Jo’burg » “I am, You are, We are South Africa!” – Ubomi Children Camp July 2019 » Play Handball Volunteer Programme extends to Kenya » Interview with our Swiss volunteer Daniel Schettler » Handball is an universal language – Play Handball at Karookop Primary School » Interview with Thabang from Franschhoek Community Sport Centre » Supercup inspires over 450 children in Africa » With Handball active for a climate change – Play Handball Supercup 2018 in Delft, Cape Town » Play Handball Supercup 2018 in Benoni » Super handball action at the Sinaba Stadium in Daveyton » Donation Campaign of Kim Ekdahl Du Rietz brings about 30 000 Euro » Interview with the volunteer Matti Schubert » Learners embrace new sport » Handball is a new sport in the farming area of Piketberg » First ever PLAY HANDBALL Junior Cup in Stellenbosch » VOLUNTEER INTERVIEW with SIMON UTTKE » Get your own Calendar of “Memories of Joy and Unity with Handball” for your donation of 25€ and more » Conclusion ‘Play Handball’ 2017 » Using Sport to raise awareness for Climate Change! » Interview with Michael Haaß (HC Erlangen, World Champion 2007) – “Handball and Sport in general open doors for your life.” » PLAY HANDBALL starts in Kenya in 2017 » The 1st climate-neutral handball tournament series in South Africa » PLAY HANDBALL SuperCup on the 29th of October 2016, in Johannesburg and on the 19th of November in Cape Town, » PLAY HANDBALL SuperCup on the 24th of April 2016 at the German International School in Tamboerskloof, Cape Town. » STREET UP YOUR HANDBALL – Developing communities around South Africa with and through handball » SolarWorld powers Handball in South Africa » THE START OF A NEW HANDBALL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM » GIRLS HANDBALL DAY – TRAIN WITH THE PROS PROMOTING fun, health, passion and multi-cultural cohesion » Halftime for the handball development project of the German Olympic Sports Confederation in partnership with the South African Handball Federation in the Western Cape » Partnership for handball development between Germany and South Africa: Short-term handball development project financed by means of German Federal Foreign Office »
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