Barbora Chudá

I chose this elective because it sounded interesting and it was on a continent I had never been to before. It first caught my attention during the presentation about what we could expect. At the same time, I found the start a bit nerve-racking because communication beforehand was limited, so I did not really know what to expect upon arrival. Luckily, many activities were organised during the first week, which helped us settle in and get familiar with the environment.

Eye-opening local experiences

One of the experiences that stood out to me most was visiting townships near Port Alfred. We learned more about how people live and work, and how communities are trying to maintain schools and kindergartens for children. It was very eye-opening to see the differences between communities and gave me a broader perspective on life in South Africa. This elective also showed me what it means to work with people from different educational and cultural backgrounds.

Working with local stakeholders

For my project, I chose Inclusion and Equity in the Ndlambe Local Municipality. Working with local stakeholders was challenging at times because of our different backgrounds, but I found it easy to communicate with them as they explained many things that helped us complete the project.

Despite some organisational challenges, the elective definitely met my expectations. I really enjoyed collaborating with people from South Africa and would describe the experience as very eye-opening, fun, collaborative and educational.