Gap Year Internship Program in Cape Town with VACorps

My experience with VAC has definitely been life-changing. Through my internship, I learned so much about the eco-tourism industry as well as how the workspace in another county operates. I love the work environment that Cape Town offers. VAC has been so helpful to my experience by always providing help when needed as well as endless activity suggestions. The weekly VACtivitys were very well planned and helped me to explore areas that would have been difficult otherwise. Through this experience, I have learned how to look after and care for myself. I have pushed myself to accomplish some incredible things here in cape town. Living in Cape Town has increased my desire for adventure, as well as shown me how to live a well-rounded life. Cape Town has been one massive playground and there is so much I want to explore. The biggest thing I will take away here is how to interact with others from very different backgrounds. I have gained a much bigger global perspective and hope to keep exploring. I will miss looking up wherever you are and being able to see Table Mountain and/or the ocean.

Living in New York City, coming to Cape Town originally felt intimidating and in a way kind of like I would be integrating and adjusting myself on my own. In reality, this is far from the truth. I think VAC’s best description is that they will make you feel at home, and this is just how I felt after just the first week. The staff is so comforting and so readily available for you for whatever problem, question, or planning you need. Our weekly activities bring the group together, along with the staff, and although you are working at your internship alone, we always have a community to go back to. I couldn’t have asked for more supporting staff and a group of students, and I was surprised how little I felt isolated and so far from home being with these people and taking part in these activities. Whether you’ve been to Capetown, or not, or have prepared for your trip, or not at all, the staff here will have you ready to go in no time. For this, I’m so grateful, and the smiles, help, and love from the staff in the VAC office brightened and comforted me every day.

I chose Cape Town as a destination because I wanted to go somewhere vastly different than anywhere I had been before, and I succeeded. I wanted to gain experience in a field I was interested in as well as explore a new city. I did my internship at a local television station, and I loved meeting and getting to know my coworkers and learning about their lives because, often, they are so different than even how I was living in the same city. I loved directing the shows (specifically the daily show) because it is an exhilarating feeling when there is a high-pressure situation but you learn so much from it. I learned how independent I can be and how reliable of a person I can be, by taking care of myself and others during my time here. I will definitely miss the city itself the most, as it’s easy to navigate and there’s something for everyone. I stayed for 8 weeks and I think it is the perfect amount of time to stay. The Vacorps activities were awesome and the other program participants that I met were incredible, definitely some friends for life.

I chose Cape Town because I felt that it was different from any other place I had been to previously, and I was right. I learned so much just from being immersed in the culture in South Africa, and I would say that's what I loved most. I came when I was only 19, and I learned some really valuable life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and fitness during my time here as well as the importance of being social and making the most of your time in a place. I worked for the daily show at a local TV station, which meant that I got to go out on shoots many times, specifically for arts events, and they were always very fun. I think I will miss the friendliness of South Africans, and I will also miss Table Mountain. I was originally only supposed to stay for 7 weeks, but I ended up extending it to 8 because I just wasn't ready to say goodbye. I personally think that 8 weeks was the perfect amount of time. The VACorps staff, specifically Kus, Kholi, and Loyiso, were amazing, and the weekly activities were also amazing.

I chose cape town mostly because it was a place I’ve always wanted to go. The people are friendly and the natural beauty is unbelievable. I absolutely loved my time here. I stayed for 3 Months and honestly I wish I could stay longer. It is a very easy place to fall into and live well for long periods of time. If you are staying for a long time one thing you really must do is put yourself out there to make new friends, not just with other travelers but with locals as well. It makes a huge difference having people who aren’t going to come and go. I much prefer Vac’s independent style more than constant handholding. Your days are completely yours, and if you don’t want to ever participate in activities you don’t have to (though I highly recommend it). Just one thing, if coming to cape town for a purpose of seeing a city representative of the continent, don’t be fooled. It in some ways similar but more often than not it is like a European city that just happened to be placed in Africa.

I chose Cape Town as a place to intern because I wanted to go somewhere international and the urban aspects of Cape Town along with having nature so close really appealed to me. The VACorps program really interested me because it was a much more independent gap semester program. After having done a semester group program this fall, I wanted to have a lot more freedom. I also love to travel and I had never been to Cape Town, let alone Africa, and I wanted to experience something completely different. The VACorps program did not disappoint, and I found it to be the perfect balance between work and play. I interned at a local school, and I loved the challenge and responsibility that the internship offered. I taught the kids alone for a lot of the internship, as my teacher was gone for 3 weeks during my time at the school. Although it was very overwhelming at times, it was nice having so much to do every day and working so closely with the kids. I also think it helped me learn how to manage stressful situations. My favorite thing about living here was how much there is to do. From coffee shops to museums, to the beach, hikes, and surfing, there was always something amazing to experience.

I came to Cape Town because I knew it was a place where I could always be learning about different cultures, political views, public health practices, and from the experiences of others. I loved the independence that VAC offered especially for a gap year student like me who is still navigating her newfound adulthood. Every day I was pushed outside of my comfort zone, whether hiking table mountain or learning about sexual health issues at my internship. I met some of the most amazing people in Cape Town and in the VACorps program and I know I will continue to keep in contact. I also think Observatory is one of the best places to stay in Cape Town and I am so fortunate to have been able to experience all it has to offer. I definitely recommend staying for at least 8 weeks and hopefully longer if you can- I have been here for 11 weeks and still feel like I didn’t get to do everything. The weekly activities and trips such as Garden Route and Kruger also made my time here and I highly recommend doing them. I’m gonna miss Cape Town so much but I can’t wait to come back!

This was truly an eye-opening experience for me. Although college gave me the opportunity to be independent, this program really gave me the opportunity to experience what life would be like beyond the bounds of a university. There was a level of freedom here that I couldn’t obtain anywhere else and after falling in love with the city and its culture, I was starstruck. There’s just no end to the activities to do here and I can safely say that I was never bored for a second. I also gained valuable insight into what I want my future to hold for me and although I don’t have a clear-cut map of it yet, this program gave me a direction, which in the end gives me faith that I will get where I need to go. I wouldn’t trade in this experience for the world