Internships in Cape Town with VACorps

Four months ago, I could never have imagined myself being here. Becoming a member of VACorps and journeying to Cape Town wasn’t originally part of my life plan, yet it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. There is something about Cape Town that captures the heart and soul of a person and makes you never want to leave. The work I have been able to do at my internship site has been nothing short of amazing and every day I have felt as if I am making a small impact on the lives of others for the better. Nothing has affirmed that more than the countless Uber rides where drivers have told me stories about how the organization that I have been fortunate enough to work for has changed their lives for the better.

Beyond the work, the number of adventures I have been able to go on, through VACorps and outside of it has been endless and all wonderful. I will come away from this journey having made countless memories that will last well beyond the moment when I embark on my journey home. Yet, the most rewarding part of this experience has without question been the people that I have gotten to experience Cape Town with. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I stepped off the plane, but right away I stepped into my house and was greeted with many welcoming faces. The VACorps staff has been wonderful and has constantly supported me throughout my time here, especially when things weren’t always going according to plan. I would without question recommend this experience to anyone that asked me about it because it truly has changed my life. Thank you for everything – Cape Town will always have a part of my heart.

Coming into this program I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into. I knew that I was coming into an incredible city to gain work experience and expand my resume and that I would have an incredible experience no matter what. What I did not expect were all the friendships and relationships that would come along with being a part of this program. It may be cliche, but the people that I have met through this program are some of the coolest people who have quickly become some of my greatest friends. I expected to come away from this program feeling fulfilled from the work that I put into the community, which is most certainly true, but I did not expect to come away with so many incredible friendships with so many different people from all over the world. I know that this trip has taught me many valuable lessons about culture, about peoples’ differences, and many other things but the things that will stay with me are the memories made with the people I have met on this trip.

My experience in Cape Town over the last 3 months has been amazing. Everyone I have met through VACorps has very welcoming and nice. After one week of orientation I started my internship with a startup brewing company. My first week was very busy as there was a drink show that weekend that I had to help prepare for and run the event. After the first week my internship was pretty relaxed which was great because I had plenty of time to hike all over Cape Town and finally learn how to surf. Overall this program couldn't have been any better and I will definitely be returning to Cape Town soon.

I have really enjoyed my Cape Town experience with VACorps, and it has truly been unforgettable. I have made so many memories and I have made friends for a lifetime. I especially enjoyed the Friday activities, this gave us the opportunity to explore different areas of Cape Town as well as spend time with everyone on the program. I will highly recommend VACorps to anyone looking to travel and work during their Gap Year as Cape Town is an incredible city, and the VACorps staff are wonderful, and really care about your experience.

The time spent during my 2-month long stay in South Africa will forever be an unforgettable one. Cape Town became my destination of choice after I saw what the beautiful city has to offer. I’m passionate about travel and new experiences and thought this would be a great opportunity for both travel and work. My internship was a requirement to complete my studies and I am glad to say that I have achieved all that I had set out to when I first arrived.

Professionally, I have grown and gained a lot of valuable experience at my internship site. I learned a lot from the animation department and got to engage in a lot of tasks which I enjoyed.

Throughout my stay, Cape Town had been a sight to see every day. There is always something new around the corner and got to experience a lot of things for the first time through many of the VACorps activities. I will never forget the endless beaches and wineries and penguins! And so much more. Also, during my time here, I made a lot of friends and met so many people from diverse cultures which were exciting and interesting to see and learn about. The whole experience has been a lovely one and I’m glad to have been part of the program

VACorps was an incredible experience that made me fall in love with the city of Cape Town and its people. I did an internship at a local Cape Town radio station, and I was given the chance to do so many things. From reporting to producing to hosting my own show. Everyone there was very supportive and kind. I took initiative and did things with my time at the station, and as a result, was given the opportunity to grow as a reporter. It is hard to imagine my time here without the people of VACorps and the memories of the Friday activities. My experience was defined by a beautiful city and even more beautiful people and that is largely thanks to the openness and welcoming spirit of the VACorps community.

I chose Cape Town because I wanted to go somewhere completely different and outside of my comfort zone, and it was highly recommended to me by a friend who had done the program last year. The VACorps Program was everything I expected and so much more. Not only did I learn a lot about Cape Town, South Africa, and its rich and beautiful culture, but I also learned so much about myself, and my future career. I am more confident as a result. The VACorps team is so supportive and empathetic and they truly care about their interns and the experience they have in South Africa. I’m going to miss everyone so much. The VACorps team, the other VACorps program participants, and all of my work colleagues who were so kind and from whom I learned so much.

When I first decided to go to Cape Town I did so mostly because I wanted to do an internship for my university and I was tired of the cold winter in Europe. But Cape Town has so much more to offer than just amazing weather and diverse and interesting internship sites. Interning here for three months was an incredible and life-altering experience. It stretched from swimming in the ocean and going on a variety of hikes to going to nice restaurants and exploring the multicultural and beautiful city. And there is a seemingly endless amount of things one could do. Even after all my time here, there are still some things on my bucket list that I did not get to do - even though I feel like I worked on finishing them very diligently. Doing an internship with VACorps was also giving me the opportunity to meet many like-minded people from all over the world and from a variety of different fields. Overall it was an experience I am very happy about and would not want to miss.