Internships in Cape Town with VACorps

Cape Town has been a city that I have wanted to visit for a very long time due to its natural beauty and the unlimited range of activities that it can offer. However what really encouraged me to choose Cape Town for my internship was VAC. I personally did not have much experience in travelling on my own and felt quite overwhelmed trying to find an internship for myself. However, the support that VAC provides from the initial application phase, all the way to your last day in Cape Town, was a huge deciding factor for me. In my first week alone I was able to meet so many new people from all around the world. Some highlights for me was the Garden Route where I conquered my fear of heights and bungee jumped off the world tallest bridge jump. This experience was so amazing that I went on to do a tandem skydive jump a couple of weeks after!
My internship has been a whole other experience in itself. I have loved working with my close knit family at TCOE. They have offered me so much both in terms of desk and field experience. Through them I was able to travel to the Eastern Cape multiple times for research that will prove beneficial for my university studies.
What I will miss the most about Cape Town is the nature, (having discovered a new found love for hiking), the coffee (Dolce Bakery serves the best coffee and bagels!), the food (Obs is just amazing for its range of restaurants) and all the amazing new people I have met in my 10 weeks here. I am very sad my time in Cape Town has come to an end, but it definitely is not a goodbye

I chose Cape Town for the culture difference and the new experiences! I came here alone and I am so glad because it really made me step out of my comfort zone and meet the best people from all around the world. My internship was a medical internship and I gained so much knowledge here about the medical field and Cape Town. The hiking and beaches here are unbelievably breathtaking! I will miss the views and the people! Everyone should travel as much as they can if they have a chance!

I have gained experience and interacted with patients more than I ever have in America. It was cool to meet and listen to the SA language as well.

My tips for future interns going to my same internship site would be to be ready to see interesting stuff! Keep your eyes open.

I originally decided to do a medical internship after I graduated from college just to get more experience in the medical field but as I arrived and started thinking about my time in Cape Town I believe it was much more than just getting experience. I felt as if I took a leap of faith and truly got out of my comfort zone which was one of the greatest feelings. I believe my month spent in Cape Town instilled in me an immense amount of growth and confidence. One of my favorite things about interning in Cape Town was the beauty and variety of cultures that exist there. One of the aspects of the VACorps program that I was most grateful for was the people I met through the program. They truly made Cape Town feel like home and each person I met had such an amazing outlook on life. The people and the beauty of the city is something that I miss the most. Overall, one piece of advise I would give to people who are coming to do an intership would be to be completely open to meeting new people and trying new things. By simply saying "yes" that choice can change your life.

I honestly never had Cape Town in mind when I was looking at internships abroad but I found VACorps through a random internet search. What sold me on this program was the weekly activities and culture series along with how close the staff and other interns are. The VACorps office is right in observatory, the neighbor hood that is recommended to stay at, and it was less than a 5 minute walk from my house. If I ever needed anything I could pop into the office and would immediately have my questions and concerns addressed. The program made me feel comfortable and at home and each step of the way was much easier with all the support provided. I loved being able to intern in Cape Town because of the different lifestyle and cultures I was able to work with and experience. I felt it was an amazing opportunity to experience a different way of life than I was used to and see how different social work practices were done in other parts of the world. I also loved the amount of adventures South Africa has to offer. Every weekend I was off experiencing something new and I never ran out of things to do. I stayed for 3 months and I feel that was the perfect time because it gave me plenty of time to experience my internship and get an understanding of the youth home I worked at, it also allowed me the time to check off all of the items on my Cape Town bucket list. I also went on the Mozambique and Kruger National Park trip that VACorps offered and I would 100% percent recommend going it was one of the highlights of my time spent in Africa.

This trip was one of the most eye opening experiences i have ever done. I learned so much about myself and am well prepared to travel more. I never wanted to travel much because i love my home but after this trip, it opened a door for me to go to so many new places. I already planned my next trip!

I can easily say South Africa changed my life and my perspective on things. I am speechless when it comes to explaining how amazing my trip is. I became so close with so many students and VAC employees and will cherish these friendships forever.

During my internship experience in Cape Town I learnt a lot about myself, I met amazing people, became more confident in myself and stepped out of my comfort zone! I joined for the VACorps Mozambique-Kruger adventure and I would definitely advise all interns to join for this trip if they had the opportunity.

The reason why I decided to intern in Cape Town was because I wanted to experience something where I will never get to experience in my life time. So, with Cape Town, it was a brand new start for me and it became the most amazing journey of my life. While interning in Cape Town, the thing that I loved the best is coming in every day and putting a smile on every students' faces. Also, I loved the environment and the other physios I worked with. All the physios were great and I learned so much from them. One thing I learned about myself during my time in Cape Town is that I am very fortunate of the things I have back home. Coming here was definitely a cultural and experiencing it changed my views of things. Some highlights from my site that I will never forget are seeing students land for the first time after surgery, students coming up to you giving hugs, the love that all the staff and student give, and just making some type of impact on a child's life. The thing that I loved most about living here is that there is so much you can experience and do every day. Also, love the part where a lot of things are walking distance so you can just walk somewhere and hang out with friends. I will definitely miss all the people that I met here. I made great connections with people all around the world and learned so much about their backgrounds/cultures. So, I was supposed to stay in CT for two months but unfortunately could only stay for one. I would advise people to stay for at least two months because there is so much to explore. The VACorps activities were good and enjoyed some of them. The aspects of VACorps program that I am most grateful for are the comfort you get from day one. Everyone is friendly and they make you feel like you are right at home. Also, I enjoyed the other interns you meet and the trips you get to go on with them where you get the chance to interact more.

I chose to come to Cape Town because I study an internationally focused study and wanted to experience first hand how business' functioned in an emerging economy like South Africa. The appeal of Cape Town specifically was a combination of the beautiful nature and the massive cultural diversity. Luckily, the internship site I was placed at provided many opportunities to increase my understanding of South African business and politics, not only through the projects I was assigned to but also through interesting conversations with my co-workers.

I improved my understanding of South African business and got to experience different several aspects of it through my work at my internship site, by not only working in the office but also by being invited to different events, which I really appreciated. In relation to just the projects I worked on, I particularly enjoyed projects where it was a lot of trial and error because I learned the most from them.

I chose to intern abroad as I wanted to further my education/ gain work experience in the travel industry. I'd been convinced by South African friends that Cape Town would be the perfect place for me and my love of adventure! My favourite thing about interning abroad was the opportunity to try something new in a stress free environment - I could join a professional team, learn about the industry and contribute my knowledge too. I learnt a lot about myself, my personal motivations and also my strengths and weaknesses - these are things I can definitely take into consideration when deciding my future career path.
I really enjoyed living in Cape Town. There is no shortage of things to do and places to see. Virtually everything is on our doorstep and very affordable too!
I stayed for just over three months, giving me the perfect opportunity to learn about the place, the mix of cultures and to see how locals go about their daily lives. I'd advise people to come here for at least two months in order to experience Cape Town properly. There are so many galleries, museums, foods to try, markets to visit and hikes as well as many other outdoor pursuits!
For future interns, I'd advise them to come with an open mind and a desire to do all that they can in their time here, Your experience is what you make it!
I enjoyed the weekly activities. It was nice to meet other interns and every week I'd meet new people from different parts of the world.