The Netherlands Cultural Exchange: Global Connections & Experiences with Lions Youth Camp Exchange

The Netherlands Cultural Exchange: Global Connections & Experiences with Lions Youth Camp Exchange

By: Grace Budiman Santoso St Fidelis

From a sudden meeting arranged by our principal to an unforgettable and enriching experience in the Netherlands, I was fortunate to have the full support of Stella Maris School Gading Serpong. Our Principal discussed a cultural exchange program through the Leo Club, which is a youth nonprofit organization under the Lions Club. The Leo Club is involved in various community service projects and youth development initiatives. Thanks to their assistance and the generous funding provided by Lions Club International, I was able to embark on this journey to the Netherlands fully supported and funded.

The Youth Exchange program, facilitated by Lions Clubs International, is a cultural exchange where participants live with host families in another country. This program aims to foster a spirit of understanding and connect among the peoples of the world by providing young people with the opportunity to experience another culture firsthand. Participants are expected to be sponsored by a Lions club, represent their community and country, and welcome the opportunity to explore the customs of another culture. 

In this program, for approximately two weeks, I resided in two different host families across the Netherlands. Specifically, I stayed in the eastern region of Nijverdal and the western region of Voorburg. During my time in the Netherlands, I visited various cities such as Gouda, Den Haag, Amsterdam, and Giethoorn. Additionally, I had the opportunity to tour Bentheim Castle in Germany with my host family.

There were some days where my roommate, Azucenna from the USA, and I got to meet other participants from Serbia, Turkey, and Brazil from another ongoing camp in the Netherlands, known as the Dutch River Camp.

Most of my time in the eastern region was spent visiting the Giethoorn canals, known as the ‘Venice of the Netherlands,’ the Rijksmuseum, and Bentheim Castle in Germany. The area in Nijverdal was extremely quiet, with the soothing sounds of bird chirping and cute hunting dogs with their sticks, which helped me adjust to the local time.

In contrast, Voorburg was bustling with cars, ambulances, and crows. Here, we traveled frequently using trains and subways to places like Madurodam, International Law Court, Kinderdijks, Neeltje Jans, Huygens Hofwijck’s house, the cheese market and much more.

Following my chosen camp, ‘Bike like a Dutch’ in Naarden, which lasted for over a week, I had the opportunity to participate alongside 21 participants from 15 other countries: America, Germany, Norway, Turkey, Italy, Hungary, Denmark, Austria, France, Serbia, Taiwan, Finland, Mexico, Spain, and Indonesia. As the name suggests, ‘Bike like a Dutch’ involved extensive cycling throughout the camp. Despite the emphasis on biking, this experience became one of my most memorable moments as I cycled with others while exploring and learning more about the life in the Netherland.

Overall, the experience living there for a month was fantastic. I had the chance to learn how to sail a small sailboat and a botter boat in the open ocean. Additionally, I connected with other people, learned about Dutch life, and discovered local cuisines such as pannenkoeken, poffertjes, herring, and stroopwaffles. I also gained insight into the typical cheeses of the Netherlands and their history.