Hey, I’m Luna and I'm 19 years old.
I’m sitting at home on the couch with a thick blanket over my legs. It feels extra chilly being home after more than eight weeks in the 36‑degree Surinamese sun!

Now that I’ve gone through all my photos and reflected on my experiences, I want to share my internship in Suriname. First of all, I really enjoyed it. Suriname is a developing country, so poverty is definitely present, not as bad as I expected, but it’s there.

I lived with a number of other volunteers in a house about 15 minutes from Paramaribo. I found it funny that there seemed to be a little supermarket every 100-200 metres. The city centre was really nice, with shops for everyone, but I didn’t spend much time there because I was busy with my internship, and on weekends I often went on trips to see more of Suriname.

I did my internship at a home for children with disabilities. I was there to run activities with the kids, but I also helped with care for my studies. The children get attached quickly, I noticed that on the first day. There were 27 children, some of whom couldn’t speak. I discovered that humour goes a long way. It’s sometimes tricky to understand what they want, and when you try, it often leads to funny situations.

The communication could be challenging, but it wasn’t a problem for me because I had prior experience with children with disabilities. The children called me “Auntie.” Besides caring for and playing with the children, I wrote a short Christmas play at the request of one of the caretakers. I helped briefly with preparations, and I’m curious to see if it will actually be performed, as plans often changed. I learned a lot and was able to share insights with the organisation.

On weekends, I explored Suriname’s beautiful nature. I visited Apiapatie, Brownsberg, and Blanche Marie, seeing waterfalls and different landscapes. The dry season made some waterfalls smaller, but we could stand under them and swim. These were my top trips, though everyone experiences them differently.

Surinamese people know how to go out. I went out a lot, especially on Thursdays at Havanna, which was really fun. Even if you’re not usually into going out, you’ll learn to enjoy it there.

- Luna