Before Departure

Before you leave, it is important that you make some considerations in relation to your upcoming internship. I will try to guide you and help you in the best possible way, but there is a great responsibility on your shoulders and it is up to you to make your internship in Bali as good and meaningful as possible. 

It is important that you are aware that an internship in Bali can in no way be compared to an internship in Denmark. The challenges you will encounter are markedly different from those you would experience in Denmark. 

The children you will meet out here come from a background that differs significantly from what we know in Denmark which has an effective welfare system. Many of these children have lived a life on the streets, grown up in abusive families, and have been abused both physically and mentally. Many of these children have not experienced caring adults who are able to teach them about the difference between right and wrong. Therefore, it is important that you consider your approach to these children. Stability, composure, and patience are needed when you meet with these children. You may also find that Danish upbringing methods do not seem sufficient here. Consulting with your fellow students, tutors, teachers, and others can be of great help for you to adapt. 

Furthermore, the culture and society in Bali are far from what we know in Denmark with our effective welfare model. Social safety networks, social services, free access to hospitals, paid education, etc. are concepts many of these people are not familiar with. During your internship, you'd need to be prepared to stand alone with a lot of responsibility, without much help and guidance from your internship site. 

You will encounter a different view of children and people from what we know back home, but also a different view of effective work, culture, organization, structuring, and child-rearing. You will often disagree or wonder about the way they handle situations and some students experience frustration in these situations because it is not possible to change a different culture and a different collective mindset over one internship period. If you can manage to keep in mind that both the view of children and their general view of humanity reflect a different culture, accept this and have patience, I will ensure you a meaningful and educational internship in Bali. The best advice I can give you along the way is to be patient and open-minded when you encounter other cultures and to exchange thoughts with your fellow students. 

Many of the institutions have limited funds. Not all institutions can afford toys, playgrounds, outdoor trips, materials, etc. Therefore, as a student, you need to be as creative as possible in relation to the activities you can do with the children—activities that do not necessarily require equipment nor cost money. 

As a student in Bali, you must keep in mind that some of these children come from difficult circumstances, and many have difficult experiences with their upbringing. That is why your efforts are incredibly important in these children's lives. Some of the most important educational tasks are to create healthy relationships and take care of it. As an adult, you would also need to give them positive attention and teach them right from wrong, about personal hygiene, and how to socialize with other children. Take the child's situation as a starting point and focus on developing their potential that can support, help, and guide the child in taking care of themselves in the future (based on their culture). Always keep in mind that you will serve as a role model for these children. 

Before your internship, I would recommend you to read the book “The Boy who was Raised as a Dog” by Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavits. This book can contribute to the knowledge, insight, and understanding of the serious consequences of trauma that can be found in neglected children, as well as how to work with them. It is definitely worth reading.