Internships in Cape Town with VACorps

Completing an internship in SA through VAC has become a season in my life that I will never forget! The diversity and energy in this city are incredible-we never came up short on things to do and there are countless opportunities to plug yourself into and get you out of your comfort zone. From my three months here in SA, my experience has been one of contrasts-from fine dining in the city, to pasta kitchen meals with folks surviving on the streets, to South African braai's in the townships! There are countless opportunities for learning and growth and I have most definitely been changed because of it. VAC was able to connect me with an organization that matched exactly what I had desired to learn/be a part of as well as elements that I didn't know I needed/wanted! This opportunity was one that is incredibly unique and offers fresh perspectives that are so applicable to bring back home with me.

The VAC staff are full of life and love for their city and their cultures and made SA a safe and welcoming place to call home for three months! The VAC staff who lead my orientation were incredibly enthusiastic and warm! They made you excited to be in their country and treated you like family from the moment you arrived. Providing us with the hop on hop off tour was very helpful as it gives an idea of what is available to further explore. Riding the transit together was very helpful so that we could confidently take transit ourselves, and I really appreciated having a VAC staff accompany me to my first internship day so I knew that route was very helpful! Whenever I needed anything from VAC or had questions about anything, VAC staff were quick to respond to my needs! Coming into this internship, I am a 3rd-year undergraduate student. I have aspirations to become a Counselling Psychologist and desired to learn as much as I could from an organization that did just that! Taking on my own clients was incredibly eye-opening, challenging and rewarding for me. I was given the space to grown and make mistakes while being supported and encouraged along the way.

I chose Cape Town because I was always fascinated by the history and culture - and it did not disappoint! The program was helpful and there was always someone available to assist me if I needed anything. I would not recommend going to Cape Town without a program like VAC! Despite the fact that it was the winter, the weather was lovely and I was still able to do many outdoor activities. My internship sight was incredible and I had an amazing supervisor. It was an extremely meaningful and educational experience, and I will take away these lessons that I learned in my internship and in Cape Town as a whole into my career, education, and personal life moving forward! I did about six weeks and enjoyed it, though many people stay longer. The weekly activities are great and cover a lot of the bigger trips that I want to do, like Paarl/Spice Route, Muizenberg, Simon's Town, and Cape Point. I was a graduate student and there were several other graduate students and it was a meaningful work and social experience for a graduate student.

VAC staff have been beyond helpful during my first stay in SA and it would not be fair if I didn't give then credit for that. I will certainly be coming back due to my amazing experience. Thank you to everyone for all your hard work. special thanks to Kholi for always being responsive if I have any concerns. My internships, WLC and W2W with Kelly Stone have been so much more than my expectations. my only regret is that I couldn't stay longer. What I appreciated most about the VACorps program was:
The internship placement
Support and knowing I could call VAC staff if I needed anything
Weekly Activities
Culture Series
VACorps staff support
VACorps Online Guide
My tips for future interns going to my same internship site would be...
have no expectations, and just do the work and have fun

I spent two months in Cape Town and it's still hard to describe everything that this city has taught me. It's completely true that the first two weeks are the hardest to adjust to, with the time change, meeting new people, navigating an internship under a company that operates in a foreign country, and figuring out how to feel safe while also having the time of your life in a different environment. I felt like the VACorps staff and my fellow peers in the program helped me feel supported through all of these things. From Culture Series to Friday excursions to weekend trips, these activities put together by VACorps gave me so much to look forward to and made the transition here so easy. I'm also so appreciative of the time VACorps took to place me in an internship that would help me accomplish the objectives I set out to achieve after graduating from my Master's program. I did such meaningful work that helped me build skills that I know will translate to the types of media and production companies I will be applying to when I return home. Thank you so much to VA Corps for guiding me through all the different steps there were to make Cape Town feel like home.

Where do I even start? Words cannot begin to describe my internship experience in Cape Town. As soon as the doors opened on the plane, crisp, cold air began to flood the cabin and with it came this electric energy, the Cape Town vibe! Carmen from VACorps was waiting for me as I walked through into the terminal. Perfectly prepared and professional. This warm welcome to the "Mother City" was the perfect thing that I needed to assure myself that I had made the right decision by taking an internship 1000 miles away from home.

Immediately from day 1, I fell in love with Cape Town. A colorful and vibrant city, rich in history and culture, "Lekker" local food, surrounded on all sides by mountains carving through the sky. VACorps didn't miss any opportunities and immediately immersed us into the culture. Orientation week was an absolute blast! With my personal favorite being the Hop-On Hop-Off bus around Cape Town!

I interned at The Center for Proteomic and Genomic Research for 10 weeks. I spent my time here learning the behind the scenes work that goes into the Biomedical Sciences field. Running tests on groundbreaking research that uses world-class, state of the art chemical analysis machines. I also learned a lot about working autonomously and being self-motivated. Spotting aspects of the company that you think you could improve, and improving them.

I chose Cape Town to do something different and it exceeded all of my expectations. I really enjoyed my time here and it was an absolute pleasure being able to enjoy everything Cape Town has to offer. I would highly recommend Cape Town and VAC to anyone who is interested! The weekly activities were a great part of the program because it makes it so easy to meet new people as well as a chance to do activities you normally wouldn't! I think VAC as a whole did a great job of explaining everything during the orientation process. I can't think of anything that was neglected. At some points it almost seemed excessive however they are trying to appeal to the masses and some interns might want/need more info than others. Overall very well done. The main goal for my internship was observing PTs and practicing in a professional setting working with athletes. This site far exceeded those expectations and I had a great time. The staff and rugby players there were extremely welcoming and were able to give me the opportunity to show my knowledge as well as learn from the medical staff in various ways including acute injury care and on-field work during games.

My time in South Africa with VACorps was a refreshing surprise. I come for a holiday, a break after graduation and I was not disappointed. The VaCorps staff go above and beyond to ensure you have a safe and fore-filling time in this beautiful country. The biggest surprise for me was that after my time here I did genuinely feel comfortable and a part of the community in Observatory. I have honestly loved my time here and would return in a heartbeat. As for my personal goals in my legal internship, wanted to achieve who expose to real client interactions. To witness and learn how to engage with clients as they are describing their problems, to be understanding but also to keep them on track. I was exposed to this on my first day and continued to be exposed to it during my internship. I also really enjoyed the shift in the back end of my internship to a greater focus on the refugee community as a whole, through the ride-along with a detective in Bellville and the day spent at a Zim school.

My time in South Africa with VACorps was a refreshing surprise. I come for a holiday, a break after graduation and I was not disappointed. The VaCorps staff go above and beyond to ensure you have a safe and fore-filling time in this beautiful country. The biggest surprise for me was that after my time here I did genuinely feel comfortable and a part of the community in Observatory. I have honestly loved my time here and would return in a heartbeat. As for my personal goals in my legal internship, wanted to achieve who expose to real client interactions. To witness and learn how to engage with clients as they are describing their problems, to be understanding but also to keep them on track. I was exposed to this on my first day and continued to be exposed to it during my internship. I also really enjoyed the shift in the back end of my internship to a greater focus on the refugee community as a whole, through the ride-along with a detective in Bellville and the day spent at a Zim school.