My virtual human rights internship

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!