I chose Cape Town to be my home for three months during my gap year due to the wide range of activities and culture that it provides (and the sunny weather was a nice bonus). I was able to meet people who I have grown to absolutely adore in my short time here, learning how to live on our own and carry out our day-to-day lives in a new environment. Cape Town had everything that I could’ve asked for in these past few months: great swimming, great people, great social scene, a great job, great weather, great everything. Since coming here, I’ve found myself learning how to love myself more and just overall becoming a happier person. I feel as though I discovered a new admiration for the people around me and realized how much I genuinely adore teaching kids. The life that I’ve lived here is the way I dream of living my life for a long time and I think that knowing that I have found a life that can make me so deeply happy has really changed me as a person. I’ll never forget skydiving with Allison and Scott in that rickety plane that we saw absolutely no safety concerns with, or when myself and Amanda for two months were fully convinced our neighbors had a pet lion (it was a dog). I’m going to miss waking up to Lila singing as she cooked chicken noodle soup for dinner, and I’m going to miss the blinds in my room that do nothing to keep the sunlight out so I ended up waking up at 8 am even if I don’t have anything until 12. I’m going to miss the place I’ve called home for the last three months, but I think I’m going to miss my friends the most because they were the ones who got me up when all I wanted to do was lay down. They were the ones who took care of me when I was sick and the ones who made me laugh so hard I think I almost had a heart attack. I came into this program anxious and blind as to how the next three months would go, and now I want more than anything to stay and never leave. So… my best advice to those who are readying themselves to come to cape town, let yourself be blind. let yourself be stunned by what this beautiful and joyous place has to offer. Do everything you can because no matter how long three months may initially seem, it will never be long enough in the end.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in Cape Town! VACorps gave me all of the resources I needed to thrive during my time in South Africa. They provided me with fantastic internship placement and created an independent environment of growth with numerous learning opportunities. As a future Public Health major, I was matched with a complimentary internship where I worked as a counselor for pregnant women and new moms, designed a resource book and compiled helpful programs for those seeking help, and worked in the Mowbray Maternity Hospital nursery and organized donations into new baby and momma bags! I transitioned from shadowing counselors to individually running counseling sessions.  Working at my internship site gave me a real introduction to public health in Cape Town, and, surrounded by such a supportive environment, I can undoubtedly say I experienced true growth in my confidence and abilities. I lived here for 3 months, and would definitely recommend staying for as long as you are able! There is so, so much to explore (especially with Cape Town's diverse geography), and you will certainly want to see everything. Some of my favorite activities have been hiking (do Lion's Head at sunrise!), surfing, trying new restaurants, exploring thrift shops, visiting Kirstenbosch, and museum touring. The 'vactivities' and Culture Series ensures you learn and see everything you can about the city! Overall, the level of growth I have experienced in this program, from within my internship, to simply learning how to live independently, has been unmatched, and I do believe my gap year would be incomplete without it.

VACorps has given me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to intern in and explore Cape Town. There is no other place in the world quite like Cape Town and I will forever cherish the memories I have made here for the rest of my life. I interned at a spectacular organization that helps children in need, and I was able to get an insight in to social work with children.
The VACorps staff are some of the sweetest, nicest, and most helpful people I have met in Cape Town. I appreciate how they were so willing to help me out when I needed it.

I had an amazing experience in Cape Town through VACorps. I came in, not sure what to expect, but it exceeded my expectations. Cape Town itself was absolutely beautiful, with lots of fun activities to do. The site I attended, Haven Night Shelter in Wynberg was a great experience. The workers their were amazing, they were kind, funny and accepted me as one of their own right away. The work there was very fulfilling, knowing that I was helping people in need get back on their feet. I'm grateful for all the friends I met through VACorps as well. I became close with many of my roommates, and I will surely keep in touch with them. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm very happy that I came.

When I was looking for a program to do for the first chunk of my gap year, I knew I wanted to go someplace interesting, do something engaging, and grow as an individual. VACorps has facilitated the chance for me to do that all x100. Throughout my time in Cape Town I have learned so much about my field of interest (Human Rights), my hobbies (turns out I LOVE early morning Atlantic swims), and myself.
I came to Cape Town for three months (just under 12 weeks total) and have had the most amazing time. As someone who had been to Cape Town briefly before, I really came for the internship but had the joy of exploring the aspects of the city I hadn't seen before. Three months was the perfect time for me. I did everything I wanted (pro tip: ask the departing interns for a list of what they enjoyed most, which became my Cape Town bucket list), and had my remaining few weeks to revisit my favorite places. Exploring the markets, venturing up the mountains, and trying every type of food imaginable has been the greatest adventure.

Beyond simply being in Cape Town, I loved the balance that VACorps provides. It is so great to live with a group of interns while still having my own work to go to every day and the independence of creating my own experience. The whole-group meet-ups ~2x a week are a great way to get to continue getting to know your peers and exploring the city but don't confine yourself by taking up too much time. We have the freedom to participate in the VACorps program when we want, and also have our own experiences when we want. Additionally, the VACorps staff is incredible. Simply having someone to call is always reassuring, but the lengths Kus and Kholi and everyone on the team go through to ensure we are having a good time is wonderful (they're also just super fun to hang out with - and have photoshoots with ;) ). I am going to miss all the adventures and laughter greatly.

Overall, VAC has been one of the most liberating, engaging, and enjoyable times of my life, and I am so grateful to everyone here who made it so great. Observatory is my home, and I can't wait to come back and visit again sometime soon!

I chose the VACorps program to both broaden my international experience and make new friends from all over the world with different backgrounds. I have had such a great time in this program and have experienced so much in Cape Town. The natural beauty of the city and the beautiful rich culture of its people is incredible. This is a place I will never forget. I stayed here for 2 and a half months, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. The weekly activities always are so much fun, and add to the sense of community here. Some advice I would give new arrivals is to try to go out and see as much as you can while you have the time. There is so much to both see and do.

During my gap year I have had to navigate many COVID related restrictions with gap programs and travel. I was looking for an experience that would be in person and as normal as possible. It was suggested to me to look into travelling to Cape Town as it was less impacted by COVID. After speaking with VACorps and asking many queastion I decided to take my chances and travel half way round the world. I never regretted my decision and had an amazing time! I was able to explore Cape Town with other interns and work as a teacher in a local school, both incredibly rewarding experiences. I grew immensely as a person during my time here and I think this is a trip that I will remember for the rest of my life. Being able to experience Cape Town both in a professional and social manner allowed me to understand South Africa differently than a regular tourist would. During my time here I was not only able to explore Cape Town but also Pretoria and Kruger National Park for a six day safari!

A typical week as an intern would be working at your site during work days of course and then meeting up with other interns for dinner and social events in the evening. Every weekend we go on a VACorps trip in and around the city and will then organise our own trip on Saturday or Sunday. VACorps is definitely a social program and all of the interns enjoy spending time with one another and explore Cape Town and experience South Africa as a group. As a whole I thoroughly enjoyed my Cape Town experience and highly recommend it to any future interns who are looking for an adventure.

My VACorps and Cape Town experience was nothing short of incredible. Just a few months ago, I had no idea what to do with the end of my gap year and was searching for an experience that would throw me out of my comfort zone while still providing the support of a strong community, staff, and culture. For my internship, I worked at a local, small-scale urban farm-based in Gugulethu. I spent half my time working on the farm, planting vegetables, and cleaning up the plots for harvesting. The other half of my time was spent on a community Newsletter for the farm. With my internship, I was given full creative license to write, design, layout, and print a newsletter for the farm to be distributed at local markets. It was a wonderful experience and I felt like I got an amazing split of in-person labor and business development. One of the best parts of this program is the independence VACorps gives. You will be meeting new people, making your own decisions, and living in South Africa with the ability to do whatever your heart desires. I really appreciated the way in which the program provided a safety net for me and everyone in the group; I felt like I could call anyone if I needed help with anything but didn’t feel any pressure or restriction with what I was doing on a day to day basis. This allowed me to explore Cape Town and all its resources to the fullest. I had the best food, jumped off a bridge, jumped out of a plane, hiked Table Mountain, paddle-boarded the Waterfront, embarked on safaris on the Garden Route, and hit the beach in my spare time, making for an experience that I truly believe cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world. Even better, I did it all with my friends that I had just met, all hungry for an adventure and ready to take on Cape Town. It made for a particularly unique bonding experience and I will be in touch with them for a long time. I learned so much in my seven weeks here and my one regret is not staying longer. This program is truly one-of-a-kind and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to challenge themselves while making friends and memories you will not forget!