VACorps

I spent one month interning in Cape Town and it has been one of the best travel and professional experiences of my life. This is truly an amazing and cosmopolitan city with so much to do and see--you will never get bored. I really enjoyed my work at Ihata Shelter; I learned so much and was exposed to so many different things that. I got opportunities that would not have been available to me in Canada and I am truly grateful for them. The VAC staff is really supportive and nice. They are always here for you when you need them and they try hard to ensure you have a memorable experience. I'm really glad I did this internship program.

I really enjoyed my medical internship working at Retreat Community Health Centre. | was able to circulate through the different departments at the clinic including trauma, emergency, maternity, obstetrics, chronic disease etc. I was also able to watch and assist with medical emergencies and my personal highlight at my internship sight was being able to watch and assist with deliveries and newborn check-ups. I was here for a total of eight weeks and loved every minute of it. I will definitely miss all of the amazing people that I've met here and living so close together in Obs. One of my favourite tings that I did here was the Garden Route trip where I got to walk with African elephants and bungy jump off of the worlds highest bungy bridge. Throughout my entire stay here, the VAC staff was always very helpful and planned amazing weekly activities for us. I am most grateful for the VAC program for my internship placement and for enabling me to meet such amazing friends here.

I chose Cape Town for my internship because I have always wanted to come to Africa since I was a little kid. I saw an advertisement for VAC on an internship website and I decided to email for more information. I want to become a travel nurse so I wanted to see what nursing was like in other parts of the world. Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I was at Maitland Cottage Pediatric Hospital and Heidelveld Community Clinic for my internship. I was able to observe many different things such as, PT/OT, wound care, surgeries, sutures, family planning, urgent care, HIV clinic and prenatal check ups. I was able to talk to many nurses and doctors about healthcare and it was interesting to hear their perspective on healthcare. My favorite part about interning here was Cape Town itself and I loved having Table Mountain and Devils Peak in my backyard and the beach was very close as well. Everyone that I met while I was here was so nice and welcoming and I will definitely miss that as well as the beauty of the city. I was here for 2 months and I personally wish that I would have been able to stay for 3 months. There is so much to do and see in Cape Town and it is very hard to pack it all into 2 months. The weekly VAC activities help you see a lot of the hikes and a lot of the outdoor activities. I am grateful for the people I met and the endless memories that I made in Cape Town.

After studying abroad my freshman year of college, I knew I wanted to travel more in the future. After a friend of mine came home from Cape Town and told me how much she loved it, I started to do more research on the city. My advisor at school recommended VACorps to me and that is how I made the decision to do an internship here. I have absolutely loved my last two months in Cape Town with VAC. I did my internship at a medical clinic in a township and I learned a lot about the public health problems in Cape Town and how different the healthcare system is from home. My two months in Cape Town flew by and I was never bored. There is always something new and exciting to do in this city. There are so many amazing restaurants, hikes, vineyards, and beaches in the area that we always had something to do after work. Hiking was one of my favorite things to do here and my favorite hike in Cape Town was definitely Lion's Head at sunrise. The highlights of my last two months were going on the Garden Route, shark cage diving in Hermanus and sky diving. Having the VACorps staff for support while I was in Cape Town was so helpful. Anytime I had a question about the city or needed help planning an activity they were willing to help and give their advice. Having the weekly VACorps activities every Friday was really fun and a great way to meet other interns. One of the things I will miss most about Cape Town are all of the amazing friends I have made here through VACorps. The decision to intern in Cape Town was one of the best decisions. I fell in love with this city and I can't believe my time here is over, but I know I will be back soon!

I chose to come to Cape Town because it's in a country that's always fascinated me, and I thought it would be the perfect place to do a human rights internship. I learned so much here, not just academically speaking, but I also learnt so much about the culture and about myself. Overall, I think the most important thing I've learnt is that I am so much more capable than I thought I was. I've gained so much confidence in my own abilities, and learned more about my own potential in life. I've been in Cape Town for 10 weeks, and I think the best advice I could give a future intern would be to come here with an open mind, and be prepared for experiences you never thought you would have. Say yes to things you wouldn't necessarily ordinarily say yes to, and don't be afraid to speak to new people. VAC are so great at looking after us interns, and the weekly VACtivities are a great way to see more of the country and get more out of your stay here. I can 100% recommend Cape Town and VACorps for an incredible experience you will never forget!