Internships in Cape Town with VACorps

My internship was one of the best experiences of my life. At first I felt as though I was paired with the wrong internship however after one day I fell in love with my surroundings. Every staff member and counsellor became my family and treated me as such. I have never felt so at home while being so far away. The work that I had to do was very tough mentally, however it helped me grow as a human being. I was able to learn compassion by doing and not by someone telling me. The unconventional ways that TZP councils women was eye opening and showed me that following a strict clinical path to for mental health is not always the best. I know that the methods and knowledge that I have learned from my internship will greatly help me in my future endeavours.

My experience here in Cape Town with VACorps was incredible. I met so many people, did so many amazing things, and learned so much about medicine. I worked at Retreat Clinic and it was truly eye opening the things I saw and got to help out with. The nurses and doctors I met were truly amazing and taught me so many things I wouldn't trade for the world. In my time here I fell in love with the city while gaining invaluable medical experience. While I was only here for a month, I am so grateful for my time here and will never forget what I learned. My VACorps internship helped me realize my love for material medicine for that I will be forever grateful. Also, I loved the weekly activities and cultures series' that allowed me to keep in touch with new friends and learn more about South African culture. Looking back I would've stayed for longer than 5 weeks.

I chose Cape Town as the place where I wanted intern abroad because of the amazing nature and wildlife biodiversity that there is here. I interned at The Cape Town Environmental Education Trust and worked with The Gantouw Project, a conservation project that has introduced eland antelope to the Cape Flats Dune Strandveld in order to conserve the biodiversity of this endangered habitat. I interned there for for three months and was able to connect with nature and learn about the native flora and fauna of South Africa and Cape Town. I loved being able to work outside during my internship and it was very special experience to get work with and interact with the eland.
Cape Town has also been a great place to explore outside of my internship. I really enjoyed getting explore all of the outdoor experiences and adventures that Cape Town has to offer in my free time. I also loved being immersed in the Culture of Cape Town and really getting to know everything about this amazing city. The weekly activities with VACorps were also a lot of fun and provided tons of opportunities to have fun and explore Cape Town. Overall Cape Town has been an amazing experience where I have made memories that I will always cherish and I hope to come back soon!

Cape Town has been an amazing place to work and live. I chose Cape Town because I had never been out of my comfort zone, and I was fascinated by the rich history of the area. I am interested in pursuing a career in government and experiencing the Parliamentary system of South Africa has been fantastic and eye-opening experience. Over the past 3 months, I met some amazing people, from all walks of life, and together we cultivated unforgettable memories all over the country and beyond! I will miss so much about this place, the hikes, views, food, people, lifestyle...ect. The VAC staff and weekly activities have been incredible as well. I'd like to thank my supervisors Rashaad and Monique for their guidance, insight, and friendliness. I had never been excited about coming into work until I started at PMG and will truly miss the office dynamic. I would advise everyone to fly to SA, stay for 90 days if you can, and try everything possible! It doesn't get much better than this.

I chose to intern in Cape Town because of the rich culture that is South Africa. At my university, I learned about the resiliency of the South African people and how they draw power from their culture to change their communities for the better. I wanted to come to Cape Town to experience this sense of bravery with my own eyes. I decided to do an internship because I wanted to lend my skills, knowledge, and care to the people of South Africa. My goal was not to step into South African communities and tell their members what they needed to do; rather, I came to South Africa wanting to meet the needs of the people I intended to serve. Instead of meeting South African people halfway, I wanted to meet them where they were at.

Within my first few days in Cape Town, I fell in love with South Africa, especially the South African people. The individuals I had the privilege of meeting welcomed me with open arms and open hearts. Initially, I was scared that I would feel homesick since I was thousands of miles away from home, but this feeling could not have been farther from the truth. Even though I did not have my friends and immediate family with me, I was able to find a community in South Africa that made me feel loved, cared for, and accepted. Thanks to the guidance and support of the VACorps team, I was able to develop a sense of belonging here in South Africa.

The thing I will miss the most when I leave is the people. I never expected myself to connect with so many individuals on such a deep level. Each week at my internship site, I had the opportunity to listen to my co-workers stories and learn about their experiences living in South Africa. Every story I heard was told with conviction, humility, and love–I always left feeling inspired by their words and in awe with their presence. Hearing people's story helped me realize how important it is to create spaces for people to speak. Throughout my stay in South Africa, I learned how powerful listening is. When you listen, you help others find power in their voice and the strength in their stories.

While my time in Cape Town, South Africa is coming to an end, the experiences I had and the lessons I learned will be taken with me wherever I am in the world. Thank you South Africa for sharing your beauty with me.

Cape Town is amazing, but would made the experience even better was VAC. From pre arrival to orientation, I was constantly supported. VAC's staff and the weekly activities were great. I would suggest that people budget before they come here. And definitely go to Mozambique, it's a once in a lifetime experience!

I think the application process was perfect. The effort to match the right internship site with the right person really shows.

And lastly, I enjoyed that I felt the support from VAC before I arrived, and the second I was on the ground. It eases the transition period.

Interning in Cape Town has been one of the most enriching, inspiring, and over-all remarkable experiences I have ever had. The places I've seen and the people I've been fortunate to connect with have really made this experience what it was. My internship site has blessed me with so much knowledge and understanding that I can now take out into the world. I am so thankful and so excited to bring these memories and experiences with me as I continue a life of exploration, service, and laughter.

My goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the immigration issues in South Africa. Through this internship I was provided with first-hand knowledge and experience concerning the xenophobia issues that plague Cape Town and all of South Africa. Working with women specifically, I gained a deeper understanding of the intersection between gender and foreigner.

VACorps was an amazing experience. I was able to do hands on work in a rapid growing business which was a once in a lifetime opportunity. VAC was incredibly helpful on setting up the internship and helping with any needs i have once I arrived, but once I got situated, VAC gave enough freedom so I could discover all Cape Town has to offer.

My tip would be to try and get Friday’s off or a half day on Friday. There is so much to explore in Cape Town and VAC does a good job showing Cape Town through the activities on Friday.