For about a month we’ve had to without any extra hands but fortunately since mid-February four new students have arrived from the Netherlands. Packed with enthusiasm and highly motivated, the ladies have had their first meeting with the Kolewa children and the Indonesian team members. For the coming months, we have prepared a schedule which matches their internship assignments and their interests as much as possible. However, internship also means being employable, wherever necessary. This could be teaching children to brush their teeth in the morning, taking food to the hospital around noon or helping out in the kitchen.
Mara Wesselink, Nutrition and Dietetics, Hanze University of Applied Sciences. Two days a week, Mara can be found in the kitchen of Rumah Bicara. She wants to learn everything there is to know about Indonesian ingredients and dishes and do grocery shopping at the market. In turn, she will use her knowledge to give Heldi advice on how to serve even healthier meals to children who need medical help. On the remaining days, Mara will work on her internship assignment.
Shannon Spork, Social Work at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, arrived a week before the other three students. She feels right at home at Kolewa and has shown and shared her creativity. The children at Rumah Bicara have already made some colourful craft works. In the weekend of 18 and 19 february, she accompanied team member Widia on a trip to Bima (Dompu Sumbawa). They made house calls and took three babies with them to Bali for cleft lip surgery. A remarkable and unforgettable experience.
Nadine van Bennekom, Social Work, Hanze University of Applied Sciences. Even before she left for Bali, she already knew a lot about the Kolewa Foundation as it was her sister Lychelle who made the wonderful film about our activities last year. First, Nadine went to Karangasem to attend speech therapy and sign language lessons to deaf children. Her school assignment is drawing up a treatment plan for a traumatised child. The coming period, she will first monitor the children at Rumah Bicara and then make a choice.
Adinda Hanny, Social Work and Social Services, NHL University of Applied Sciences. In combination with her internship assignment, Adinda will be employable for three to four days a week. During her first days at Kolewa, she went to the Nitti Mandala Club and the slum school to teach English. In the afternoon, Adinda and Nadine took the Kolewa family to the park in Denpasar for some fresh air.
From the Netherlands we wish the four students every success. We’re looking forward to their experiences and reports in due course and we’ll definitely share them in a blog.
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