Program Reviews

I am so thankful for my experience with VACorps. I chose Cape Town because I wanted to have an international intern experience with a company that cared about its interns. I had a desire to explore a city that I had never been to and work with people I had never met but knew I would flourish with. I really enjoyed everything I learned at my internship in the realm of data cleaning following research projects. I’ve been on the front end of research projects before not the back end so it gave me a lot of insight into all aspects of research in the public health world. I loved that I felt outside of my comfort zone but in the best way possible, I was so comfortable exploring Cape Town and learning while I was here. I will miss everything about Cape Town, the people, the other interns, the views, the mountains, the ocean, the food, and more. My time here in Cape Town has made me feel like Cape Town is my home and I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I was only here for 8 weeks and I wish I could extend my stay to a lifetime. VAC and Cape Town have given me lifelong friendships, unforgettable memories, and an incredible learning experience. If you are hesitant in any way about coming to Cape Town, just do it, come and see the beauty Cape Town and South Africa has to offer. It’s a city that felt like home instantly and I know it will for you too.

The VACorps staff, Kholi, and Kuselwa are the most wonderful, kind, and supportive individuals.  I am so grateful to them for facilitating this experience, and for all the support and love they gave while I was in Cape Town.  I could write a whole book about Cape Town, and my experiences in the VACorps program, but I could write a whole series about the beautiful people I met while I was here.  To all the kiddos and mothers at my internship site who I've loved and met, thank you. To Ms. Joslynn, my internship supervisor for being the definition of courageous, thank you. VACorps provides such a great opportunity to enjoy Cape Town and your internship, but the people that you meet give you a journey of love that if you indulge fully, you will never find anywhere else.

The past three months in Cape Town have been nothing short of excellent. I went in with an open mind, as the internship was a little out of my field of work. I learned a great deal through my time as an intern, the first being coding. I was very new to coding but through some self-taught and help from the company, I was able to be a lot more confident in my skills. Also, I was able to work closely with the owner of the company, which allowed me to see how an Entrepreneur mindset works day to day. The culture and natural beauty of Cape Town and surrounding areas are absolutely astonishing. This city is one of the greatest scenes for outdoor activities as you have the ocean and the mountains all around you, which makes for great surfing as well.

The VAC staff was so amazing to work with from the day I applied to the day I am leaving. They made me feel at home away from home. I truly believe Cape Town is the prettiest city in the World. There was so much to see and do! I did my internship at a public clinic in one of Cape Town’s townships. Coming here, I wanted to have the most hands-on experience possible. I wanted to find out if medicine was actually what I wanted to do, and if I was comfortable doing it. I feel like I really gained a better understanding of these things, and was able to accomplish what I wanted to out of this experience. I was able to form so many life-long friendships here with people from all different walks of life! Such an amazing opportunity and I would recommend VAC to anybody!

I chose Cape Town as a destination because I wanted to go somewhere vastly different than anywhere I had been before, and I succeeded. I wanted to gain experience in a field I was interested in as well as explore a new city. I did my internship at a local television station, and I loved meeting and getting to know my coworkers and learning about their lives because, often, they are so different than even how I was living in the same city. I loved directing the shows (specifically the daily show) because it is an exhilarating feeling when there is a high-pressure situation but you learn so much from it. I learned how independent I can be and how reliable of a person I can be, by taking care of myself and others during my time here. I will definitely miss the city itself the most, as it’s easy to navigate and there’s something for everyone. I stayed for 8 weeks and I think it is the perfect amount of time to stay. The Vacorps activities were awesome and the other program participants that I met were incredible, definitely some friends for life.

I chose Cape Town because a friend of mine was part of Vacorps and had a great experience. My internship was part of my degree and I would definitely recommend it as I learned a lot and probably more than in Switzerland. In Switzerland, it‘s quite hard to get into a Clinic and really work together with patients. But not only did I benefit from the professional knowledge in the clinic, but I also improved my English and I had to live on my own in a foreign country. I learned about the culture and also more about the African way of living. It was also really nice that my internship was flexible and that I could get a day off when I wanted to explore more of Cape Town. I‘m definitely going to miss the people. They are much more friendly and welcoming than back home! In total, I stayed for 6 months but only half of it I worked in my internship. The rest I will use to travel around South Africa. I would definitely advise people to come for more than 2 months to really get an insight into their daily life. The weekly activities were great and I saw places that would have been difficult to explore on my own. The staff was absolutely amazing and probably the best part about the Vacorps Program. They would help in every situation and that‘s really nice to know!

Cape Town is an amazing place with so much to do. For 8 weeks, I always had activities to do and places to see, and I was never bored or sitting around. It was an awesome experience all around. I met so many great people in South Africa as well. The other VACorps interns will be my friends for a long time, and we had so much fun together. I will never forget all the fun activities we did together on the weekend. The VACorps in-country team was perfect, and they did an awesome job of facilitating the program

I chose Cape Town because I felt that it was different from any other place I had been to previously, and I was right. I learned so much just from being immersed in the culture in South Africa, and I would say that's what I loved most. I came when I was only 19, and I learned some really valuable life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and fitness during my time here as well as the importance of being social and making the most of your time in a place. I worked for the daily show at a local TV station, which meant that I got to go out on shoots many times, specifically for arts events, and they were always very fun. I think I will miss the friendliness of South Africans, and I will also miss Table Mountain. I was originally only supposed to stay for 7 weeks, but I ended up extending it to 8 because I just wasn't ready to say goodbye. I personally think that 8 weeks was the perfect amount of time. The VACorps staff, specifically Kus, Kholi, and Loyiso, were amazing, and the weekly activities were also amazing.

I chose Cape Town to intern abroad as South Africa is a country I've always wanted to visit. So I couldn't have asked for a better thing than to intern in Cape Town as it is the best of both worlds. I really enjoyed my internship and the work I did, but I also had a great deal of fun exploring the city and uncovering the rich culture within. Over the course of my 6 months here, I've really really grown to love the city. Looking back on my stay here, I'm really happy I was placed in Observatory, as it is a lovely little neighborhood full of life, and full of different things to do and see. I'm really going to miss the little cafes and thrift shops along lower main, and the vibrant colors of the neighborhood. I love that it is close to a lot of things in cape town, but isn't downtown either. I've learned so much about myself, and this country during my stay and will be leaving with many stories, experiences, and ideas for my future. I do have to say that I recommend for interns to be here for 3 months, if not more, as I found myself only really getting comfortable/knowledgeable of Cape Town after 2 months here (it's so big, so many things to see and do and learn!!!). I'm also really thankful for VACorps to set up weekly activities with their interns, as it helps to get to know each other, but as I got more and more comfortable here and met more people outside of the program.

I stayed for 6 months and did my internship at a large public health NGO. The first 2 months I was at a clinic, I worked at the front desk of the Youth center (a center for youth up to the age of 24, where they get family planning, contraception access, counseling, and overall health assessments). I really enjoyed it, as I worked in close quarters with the nurse there. I was able to sit in on consultations with patients, assisted in removing implants, helped with minor first aid (I have first aid qualifications), talked to the youth there, and helped sort out their files. I felt like I was helping a lot where I was needed and felt good about it. Following those 2 first months, my supervisor tasked me to take over a pilot study: The acceptability of menstrual cups among 14-15-year-old girls in the Masi Township. This project is what I worked on (along with other tasks I got from my supervisor) for the last 4 months of my stay. I really enjoyed it, as I felt they trusted me to work diligently on it. I set up educational workshops with girls that were recruited for the study to educate them on basic feminine hygiene and basic women's biology and got a good grasp of what they knew about it all, and what was missing. I then was tasked to prepare/edit the protocol for the study, as well as various source files for the study, ethics approvals, amendments, etc. This was overall a very satisfying project to work on, as it gave me a good taste of what working in an NGO really entails.

Overall, I want to thank everyone at VACorps for having my back. I never felt alone or stranded or worried during my stay here as I knew I had a whole team ready to help me. I'm really going to miss this city, the mountains, the beaches, the shops and restaurants, the nightlife, and everything in between.

I chose cape town for the sole purpose of it having the internship that fit my needs for this summer, and it was also a place I hoped to visit one day. Upon arrival, this place was absolutely breathtaking. The hiking trails are insane, and all the activities you can do will make memories for a lifetime. I did so much while I was here that I could not do in the US. Interning gave me great clinic experience and allowed me to work with patients that I could often not understand (due to the language barrier), it was fun overcoming that challenge. I got some valuable time in the clinic and gained observation hours for grad school. I also became friends with my coworkers.  The people definitely help make the experience. VACorps does a great at helping you feel at home and the friends you make are for a lifetime. I will definitely miss everything as a whole. I was here for 5 weeks and wish I could stay for longer. The VAC staff are fantastic and so friendly, and I am so grateful for the everyday support, and to them for facilitating this incredible experience.