Sjoerd Ribberink, Aiesec's co-ordinator, explains the attraction: 'It is a change. You get to see something of the world, especially culturally and socially. You interact with another culture. This yields very good experiences.' A humanitarian internship is voluntary and although it does pay for your board and lodging, it brings no compensation. And no study credits, as it has little relation to a study. The faculties have already made it known to have no interest in humanitarian internships. It will therefore not be possible to serve as a possible replacement of the compulsory internship, which is part of some of the programmes; this in contrast to the management internships offered by Aiesec from Enschede.
A humanitarian internships should therefore be seen as an extra? Ribberink: 'But what is a trimester? And everything is arranged, from visa to the pleasant reception at the airport of, say, Peru. And look at the students; they come back and have really experienced something.' At the moment there is more interest in the humanitarian internships of the Aiesec than in the management internships.
