“All in all, most of the children are very grateful and have a lot of fun with the sport and training.”

Lisza is in South Africa for a year as a weltwaerts volunteer – three months in Darling and since January in Cape Town – supporting PlayHandball ZA on the ground with work at schools in Observatory and Atlantis. In the following interview, our volunteer Lisza talks about her experiences in the past seven months:

PLAY HANDBALL: Why is handball important for you and what has it done for you?

Lisza: Handball is a big part of my life for a long time. It has helped me to develop and become more self-confident. In addition, I have made many friends through the sport and of course I have a lot of fun playing handball.

PLAY HANDBALL: How did you hear about PLAY HANDBALL?

Lisza: Some coaches from my club knew about the project and brought it to my attention.

PLAY HANDBALL: Why did you decide to become a handball volunteer in South Africa?

Lisza: I always wanted to live a year abroad. When I saw the project it was perfect for me, because it combines my biggest hobby with my future plan.

PLAY HANDBALL: How long have you been now a handball volunteer in South Africa?

Lisza: For almost 7 months.

PLAY HANDBALL: What has been the most memorable experience?

Lisza: The first youth evening in Darling, where we introduced handball was one of my best experiences here. It was a great vibe there and I realised for the first time that you can also play handball on a small, improvised field. It was a very nice feeling that so many people there were happy about us and the sport beeing there. And the Bungee jumping from the Bloukrans Bridge on our summer holiday trip.

PLAY HANDBALL: What was the greatest challenge until now?

Lisza: Probably the first few weeks, where I had to settle in into a completly new culture and family.

PLAY HANDBALL: How do you experience the handball coaching at school / in the community?

Lisza: It depends on the schools. At most schools the children are very motivated and talented, on others they are not concentrated. But all in all they are really thankful and like the sport and the practice. Most of them are improving very quickly.Teachers are very involved in most schools as well and help out with the practice and planning.

PLAY HANDBALL: How has your work had an impact on you and in the community?

Lisza: The children are having fun during practice and they get better in Sports. They improve there koordinative skills.I have become more confident, my English has improved and I can communicate better. I have also become more independent and responsible.

PLAY HANDBALL: How do you experience life with a South African host family?

Lisza: In some aspects, its completely different, but in some it‘s pretty much the same. The food, for instance, is very different from what I am used to.