Wetskills -The Netherlands, 6 November 2023 (by Makhado Mbilaelo, Department of Water and Sanitation, South Africa)
I had a terrific time waking up in the hostel in Amsterdam today. We switched last day from StayOkay Rotterdam to StayOkay hostel in Amsterdam. Because of the moving and shifting from one spot to another, everyone felt a little exhausted. I woke up at 7:10, and since it was Monday and I don’t do Mondays well, I had to decide whether to shower and skip breakfast or eat before the shower since breakfast was from 7:30 to 8:00. I was running late, I naturally just cleaned my face and teeth before quickly sitting down to eat.
As we were getting closer to our deadlines, most of the teams spent the afternoon working on our pitch presentations, posters and papers here at the hostel. My teammates and I put a lot of effort into completing the paper and poster. We were required to take a break during lunch, and while some group members managed to attend the Aquatech program, I was unable to do so because we were getting together again as a group. Following a delightful meal at Mac Donald’s, I went to the library with few others to practice our pitch and exchange comments and feedback.
Following our late-night team meeting, we also had a brief conversation with our supervisors before submitting our poster some of us decided to play pool in pairs afterwards. How rejuvenating it was to connect and get to know one another through play. Monday ended early because everyone needed to prepare for tomorrow’s AIWW.
Being a part of Wetskills Netherlands 2023 is truly an incredible experience that I will never forget. Wetskills is more than just acquiring amazing new technical experiences; it’s also about learning and making new friendships with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures who share the belief that let’s work together to make our planet a better place to live.
