Claudia, internship in international trade in Quito (Ecuador)

"I was previously a bit doubtful about whether you can trust an Internet internship agency, but I can honestly say that everything, from the organisation to the internship and host family in Ecuador, went smoothly and without any problems. A big thank you to Mireya Hernandez who really looked after me."

Almut, internship on San Cristóbal (Ecuador)

"Practically as soon as I arrived on the island I was "welcomed" by lots of sea lions. They lie all over the landing stages and beaches, make funny noises and welcome all the new tourists. My working hours were limited to just five hours per day – I had to work from 8.00 until 13.00 and then had the afternoons to myself. At the beginning it was very difficult to understand the children as they speak very fast and use children’s Spanish. But over time I got there and the children were always pleased to see me in the morning and greeted me with a "hola tia!" It is a great feeling to be met every morning by smiling children who run up to you with beaming faces. During four out of the six weeks of my placement we had the opportunity to travel in a "camioneta", a sort of pickup truck, to a small ranch, where the children could go horse-riding. It was meant to be a kind of “hippotherapy”, but as it was the first time that most of the children had sat on a horse, the trips turned into pony rides. My job was to walk along with the horses, hold the children and take hold of them if they got scared. I really enjoyed the work and the six weeks went really quickly. Linguistically I learnt a great deal through the work and life in my host family. At the end it was hard to say goodbye to everyone – the children, carers and the family. The director of the kindergarten gave me a "certificado" when I had completed the internship."

Silvia, internship at the tourist office on the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

"I think it is great that short-term internships (of 4 weeks) are also possible. This allows the participation of workers like me, who wish to gain experience abroad, but who can’t or do not want to leave their job. In my case, (almost) everything with the organisation (work, accommodation, journey) worked out wonderfully, although the people in South America are not very organised (no agenda, a lack of communication etc.). That’s why they must be so spontaneous! ? The services offered by PractiGo are one-of-a-kind. I had been looking for a 4 week internship for a long time, and thanks to the Internet I finally found it. PractiGo arranged the internship exactly to meet my needs, as did the people at my location. My time on the Galapagos Islands was a unique experience. The host family really welcomed me into their home and looked after me in such a caring way that I quickly felt at home and learnt a lot about the lifestyle and culture. My work colleagues were also very friendly and helpful. I really enjoyed the work at the tourist board, especially as I could learn Spanish and a lot about the Galapagos at the same time. Although the internship had nothing to do with my usual career, it was worth it. I recommend everyone to live and work in another country at least once in their life, as it is a great personal experience and can also be really useful for your professional career."