Program Reviews

I had an amazing experience in Cape Town through VACorps. I came in, not sure what to expect, but it exceeded my expectations. Cape Town itself was absolutely beautiful, with lots of fun activities to do. The site I attended, Haven Night Shelter in Wynberg was a great experience. The workers their were amazing, they were kind, funny and accepted me as one of their own right away. The work there was very fulfilling, knowing that I was helping people in need get back on their feet. I'm grateful for all the friends I met through VACorps as well. I became close with many of my roommates, and I will surely keep in touch with them. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm very happy that I came.

Interning in Cape Town for 2 months was the best decision of my life and I wished that I could extend my stay longer! After graduating from university with a BA Hons in Social Work I wanted the opportunity to travel whilst gaining more experience within another field that aligned with my social work values and skill set. VACorps placed me at a site where I was able to intern as an Occupational Therapist Assistant Manager. During this time I was able to build upon my managerial, professional, and personal development. This was achieved by working with a range of adults with learning disabilities and facilitating sessions, whilst maintaining a person-centered approach.

Traveling to South Africa alone seemed so daunting at first but I quickly become settled and am grateful for the easy transition when arriving. I cannot thank the program enough for the amount of support and guidance they have provided throughout my whole stay, they have been so accommodating and welcoming. By providing weekly activities, gave opportunities for the other interns to bond and make lifelong friends but also get to know the team on a personable level.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in South Africa and challenged myself to try things outside of my comfort zone including hiking, bungee jumping from the largest bridge, zip-lining, walking with elephants, and hosting our first South African "braai"!

I am so thankful for the memories made and those I was able to share them with. I would highly recommend VACorps to anyone who wants to work abroad with the support of a wonderful team behind them.

When I was looking for a program to do for the first chunk of my gap year, I knew I wanted to go someplace interesting, do something engaging, and grow as an individual. VACorps has facilitated the chance for me to do that all x100. Throughout my time in Cape Town I have learned so much about my field of interest (Human Rights), my hobbies (turns out I LOVE early morning Atlantic swims), and myself.
I came to Cape Town for three months (just under 12 weeks total) and have had the most amazing time. As someone who had been to Cape Town briefly before, I really came for the internship but had the joy of exploring the aspects of the city I hadn't seen before. Three months was the perfect time for me. I did everything I wanted (pro tip: ask the departing interns for a list of what they enjoyed most, which became my Cape Town bucket list), and had my remaining few weeks to revisit my favorite places. Exploring the markets, venturing up the mountains, and trying every type of food imaginable has been the greatest adventure.

Beyond simply being in Cape Town, I loved the balance that VACorps provides. It is so great to live with a group of interns while still having my own work to go to every day and the independence of creating my own experience. The whole-group meet-ups ~2x a week are a great way to get to continue getting to know your peers and exploring the city but don't confine yourself by taking up too much time. We have the freedom to participate in the VACorps program when we want, and also have our own experiences when we want. Additionally, the VACorps staff is incredible. Simply having someone to call is always reassuring, but the lengths Kus and Kholi and everyone on the team go through to ensure we are having a good time is wonderful (they're also just super fun to hang out with - and have photoshoots with ;) ). I am going to miss all the adventures and laughter greatly.

Overall, VAC has been one of the most liberating, engaging, and enjoyable times of my life, and I am so grateful to everyone here who made it so great. Observatory is my home, and I can't wait to come back and visit again sometime soon!

I recently graduated college with my Bachelor's in Public Health and wanted to get some experience in global health before pursuing my master's degree. I chose Cape Town because, unfortunately, they have. a high prevalence of HIV and I wanted to look at infection control. I was placed with Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation and got to learn about the clinical trials the site is doing to combat HIV and provide vaccination. Overall, I learned a lot from my internship site, the country, and the people who I met. My internship showed me that I want to pursue my master's degree in infection control and prevention. It was an amazing experience for me and I am grateful I came out here.

I chose Cape Town because my brother Quentin had already gone through VACorps and loved it and had the time of his life. I really enjoyed my internship at the University. I learned numerous valuable lab skills and practices and would recommend interning there to anyone with a STEM major. I was able to grow my scientific background and knowledge, learned numerous lab skills, and how to operate new lab equipment I've never used before. I also learned a lot about the process of research in an open information research group and what needs to be done to follow protocol to ultimately get reliable data to publish.

I loved how much there is to do in Cape Town, from the beaches to the mountains to the city. I learned to be more confident in myself and lean into who I am. I will miss all the people I met down here the most. I stayed for two months, and I would recommend that people stay as long as possible.

I chose to do a film and media internship in Cape Town as I was curious to explore Africa and thought it would be a good place to start. I’m interested when it comes to South African media content, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know a different side of the city - the one that foreigners seldom get to see, especially when we filmed outside in locations like Khayelitsha. I’ve learned I can work in a different environment and adapt pretty quickly. Friday’s activities were always different and enjoyable. I’ve stayed for 3 months exactly and I would advise people to stay a minimum of 2 months so they can explore the city and its surrounding areas.

VAC staff were very present and involved in the weekly activities (Mondays and Fridays), and I’ve enjoyed my time with them. I’m definitely grateful for the number of people, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with while I was in the Vacorps program.

Coming to Cape Town, South Africa has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life. It is the most diverse and beautiful city with endless things to do and explore. The VACorps program allowed me to establish the most wonderful friendships with like-minded people, that I know will last a lifetime. I will be forever grateful for this program and my time in South Africa, and I am very sad to say goodbye to the VACorps staff and all the other wonderful people I have met during my time here.

My major requires me to participate in a minimum of 8 weeks of "international experience". Most students choose to study abroad, but I prefer hands-on and service learning. I chose Cape Town as I wanted to teach and South Africa was one of the only international internships that offered to teach in English. Cape Town had so much to offer- even with COVID restrictions and a lockdown. Everyone was super welcoming and friendly. Although we primarily stuck to "touristy" things, I jumped at every opportunity to learn about the history and the townships, going to visit Kholi and the children at Bathande when I could. Additionally, I was able to learn about the immigrants from Zimbabwe from my internship which added another layer of perspective to the history and hardships within the borders of South Africa. The activities were so fun and the support from VACorps was amazing.

Originally, I was supposed to stay for the full 90 days but had to cut my trip a week short due to university needs and am very sad to leave.

I did a remote internship with a human rights organization based in Cape Town and had an amazing experience. I did not necessarily think that my internship would be based out of Cape Town, or South Africa for that matter. However, I have always been interested in learning more about the social, cultural, and political aspects of the African Continent. What better way to broaden my horizons than choosing to intern with a human rights group in South Africa? Although at times it was hard (i.e. time difference) to communicate with staff/volunteers in Africa Unite, it got much easier as I progressed through my internship. You really can effectively work with people that are dispersed throughout the world. I liked that I was able to take on many challenging projects during the day, knowing that I could relax in the evening hanging with friends/family in the community in which I grew up. I do hope to actually travel to South Africa in the future, it would be nice to actually get to shake the hands of the people I was fortunate to work with. There were two major things that I took away from my experience. First, time management is key. I have for the most part been able to get tasks done, but this internship further taught me to hone in on those skills. Second, the ability to communicate is paramount. I initially had a hard time understanding those that I worked with. However, I pushed myself and did not hesitate to ask people to restate what they said if it was necessary. My favorite project was organizing a webinar, asking experts and human rights organizations based out of Mozambique to talk about the current crisis the country is experiencing. I would like to thank VACorps for coordinating with my internship site to give me such an fantastic experience!

Travelling away from home to a totally different continent is a little daunting. Once I met Loyiso at the airport I felt an instant sigh of relief. The VACorps staff are so kind and thoughtful. Kus and Kholi have been amazing. I was worried I would have to plan so much of my stay myself but I am very glad that the amazing staff coordinated Friday activities and was always messaging in the WhatsApp group chat. Sean was so awesome and showed us a different side of South Africa. I would have never been willing or able to do so many hikes without him. I truly just appreciate the energy in this office. It is very apparent that the entire staff wants the interns to have a good time and actually learn at their internship sites.

I worked at a public clinic in one of Cape Town's townships, and I would highly recommend it to anyone working in the field of public health, kinesiology, or medicine. As I gained the trust and respect of the staff at the clinic I was given more and more responsibility. I met so many students from UCT and UWC. Since I have such a huge interest in the infectious disease I knew I needed to come to South Africa and see the healthcare system with my own eyes. A lot of work needs to be done since this country has one of the highest HIV rates in the world. When I get back home, I want to continue my work with HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Stigma needs to change and science needs to advance worldwide for more treatment and prevention options.

I would not change this experience for anything in the world. My 5 weeks here were the best and I advise all incoming interns to stay for 5 weeks or longer if able.
I worked at a public clinic in one of Cape Town's townships, and I would highly recommend it to anyone working in the field of public health, kinesiology or medicine. As I gained the trust and respect of the staff at the clinic I was given more and more responsibility. I met so many students from UCT and UWC. Since I have such a huge interest in the infectious disease I knew I needed to come to South Africa and see the healthcare system with my own eyes. A lot of work needs to be done since this country has the highest HIV rates in the world. When I get back home, I want to continue my work with HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Stigma needs to change and science needs to advance worldwide for more treatment and prevention options.

I would not change this experience for anything in the world. My 5 weeks here were the best and I advise all incoming interns to stay for 5 weeks or longer if able.