Volunteer Adventure Corps

Having the opportunity to experience Cape Town while participating in an internship has been amazing to say the least. I will miss so many aspects of my time here. I will miss Obz, the beaches, beautiful wineries, friendly fellow travelers and locals as well as my internship at the Cape Town Refugee Centre. The only complaint I have is not having spent enough time in South Africa. I feel I am leaving too soon. While living here you have the opportunity to truly immerse yourself into a multicultural atmosphere. Not a day went by without hearing a handful of different languages or meeting people from different countries across the globe. My recommendation to new travelers would be to take a step back every once in a while and truly take in your surroundings. Stop and enjoy the moment you are in, it goes by so fast! (The VAC activities were so much fun, Hermanus, Constantia, Cape Point and the Braai in Nyanga were some of my favorites.

Cape Town is unlike any place I have ever been. Boarding my plane four months ago, I had no idea what would await me, but I definitely did not imagine falling in love with this city like I have. Cape Town is almost unrivaled in its natural beauty and culture, and I have had an absolute ball exploring everything this place has to offer. I truly believe that my time in Cape Town has been one of the most inspiring, challenging, and gratifying periods of my life. (My internship at Cape Town Refugee Centre allowed me to experience a side of this countrythat most people will never have the opportunity to see, which allowed an abundance oflearning opportunities. VAC made it so easy for me to join an organization that allowed me to do meaningful and rewarding work, and I feel grateful for all of the experience I have gained through my internship.   To all those who are just embarking on your internships, my advice to you is this; your time in Cape Town is short and will go by quite quickly, so don't take anything for granted. The real fun begins at the edge of your comfort zone, so work hard, take opportunities, befriend locals, eat and drink your heart out, and explore every inch of this beautiful city.

6 weeks in Cape Town... what can I say?   Honestly, I did not have much time to prepare this trip in details, and did not know every touristic things I absolutely had to do here. I thought to myself, 'Suprise me, Cape Town!' And so it did. Breathtaking views, amazing people, delicious food....   My internship goals were to know more about refugees in general and their specific situation in South Africa. I learned that and so much more, I discovered things I did not know about myself and new interests. In the end, I only have one word in mind:   ENKOSI Cape Town, you blew my mind!

This time has just flown by and it's because of all the wonderful people, experiences, sushi, and fun I have had in this amazing city.    Cape Town is incredible and it has been such a priveledge to live, work, and party like a local.  In between surfing, working, Muythai-ing, eating, and braaing, I have mad life-long friends and have experienced an incredible amount of culure and fun. There has never been a dull moment.   A huge thank you to VAC, all my friends, and especially Mr. Lin for giving me this opportunity to experience life in a truly great place - I will be back very soon!

My internships with TB/HIV Care Association and Ikhaya Le Themba After-School Program were educational and transformative. Volunteer Adventure Corps definitely 'hit the head on the nail' with my internships. I was looking for an internship that would give me skills for identifying community public health needs and show me how a public health non-profit provides community publice health in a developing country. My work with TB/HIV Care Association exposed me to the many health needs in South Africa and gave me so much insight into the challenges and successes of the non-profit. Each day, I was given the opportunity to go out into townships with community care workers and home-based carers as they made home visits to patients suffering from TB, HIV, strokes, etc. I was able to see how they counsel patients, provide primary palliative care, and support a community's health education, awareness, and efforts.    After a few weeks of observing and taking notes, I assumed responsibilities of counting pills, performing home assessments with new patients, and providing education about TB, HIV, and disease prevention. My supervisor also gave me the opportunity to do in-service training with the community care workers. I was invited to attend wellness days for the non-profit and a quarterly review meeting, where I got to meet the CEO and upper management, as well as hear their goals.    My internship with Ikhaya Le Themba, which is a holistic after-school care program for vulnerable children in the township of Imizamo Yethu, was extremely rewarding and gave me hope for the future of South Africa. The staff took me in as one of their own, and I no longer felt like a strange intern from America. I supervised the children during play time and helped cook the children's meals. I was given the responsibility of facilitating a newspaper program with the older kids. I grew a deep connection with the children and staff, and I believe whole-heartedly in the importance of Ikhaya's work.    If you are looking for an internship in a developing country that will challenge your perspecitve and open your eyes to the other side of the world, then see what Volunteer Adventure Corps has to offer. I am so thankful for my experience in South Africa, and it is a platform from which I intend to build my post-undergraduate education and future career.

This has been the most amazing experience of my life (I know, super cliche, but it's the truth). I left the US as a small town girl, never having been more than 3 hours away from home, and am now leaving SA ready to take on the world. It's called the travel bug, you all know what I'm talking about. Working in Retreat and living in Cape Town opened my eyes to all the life-changing things this world has to offer; whether it be hiking three mountains in one day, exploring a new culture, or telling a mother her child's HIV viral count has become undetectable. I've seen, felt, and experienced more in these two months than any other point in my life. I've taken nothing for granted and done all I could possibly have.   It's actually difficult to put words to these past couple of months. The friends I have met, the places I have seen, the things I have experienced, are simply a whorl of excitement and enjoyment racing through my mind as I write this reflection. It's difficult to know where to start. Every moment in this city has been memorable. From my first afternoon crawling through the Boomslang Caves, to my last day walking around Green Market Square, it has seemed the next day couldnt be as amazing as the last, though every day was.   My house has taken to the saying 'a day of nothing is a day wasted.' We are here such a limited period of time it's a shame to waste any moment, so don't! Take advantage of it all. See it all. Love it all. Even a random walk to the Waterfront can turn into a memorable day. I guess that's my only advice. Don't waste a second. So until next time Cape Town, Cheers!

Life changing. Best summer ever. Those phrases don't even begin to summarize my experience in Cape Town. Coming to a new city in a foreign country is an intimidating experience, but VAC made the transition and integration process so easy. One thing that I really like about VAC is that interns come and go on their own terms all at different times. While this makes saying goodbye harder, it was so reassuring to have a group of veteran interns with open arms waiting to show you the ropes. My internship placement was absolutely fantastic! I was able to get the hands-on medical experience that I was unable to find at home. During my time at Heideveld, I was regularly able to learn about South African culture and about myself as a person.   VAC has been my South African family from the beginning. The Friday activities, trips, Xhosa classes and other activities created a close knit and diverse group of people. I can't thank you guys enough! I have had the most unforgettable two months!

I have no words to describe my ethereal experience in Cape Town, thanks to VAC. The other interns have become like family to me. The locals have welcomed us all with open arms, and my internship in Hout Bay CHS has opened my eyes to an entire new world. In a month's time I have learned and grown more than ever and I am eternally grateful to VAC for allowing me to be a part of their big family and for giving me and trusting me with the opportunity of working with the Hout Bay community. I feel that I have gained and learned more than I have given, so I am forever in debt to South Africa and its people! Once again, thank you for this wonderful lifetime experience!

I took the summer off following graduate school intending to travel the world, but found myself not knowing where to start. Rather than spending my summer spending money, I decided to spend the summer giving back. I wanted to travel to Africa and chose VAC due to the sheer number of positive reviews that I came across on the internet and the very real program reflections, just like the one I am writing now.   I spent 12 weeks of my summer in Cape Town and I can't even begin to describe to you all that I've learned about myself and the world around me. Rather, it's something that you simply have to experience for yourself. I didn't just travel to a foreign country for the summer& I lived it. I worked in the townships, I lived with 17 other VAC interns, and I experienced all of the tourist attractions that Cape Town has to offer. I climbed a mountain, swam with sharks, pet a cheetah, went on a safari, tried surfing for the first time, and tasted just about every wine in South Africa. I spent weekdays working with the children at Sibongile orphanage in the township of Khayelitsha, I struggled with the cultural differences, and I came back to America with both positive and negative views of our world, but most of all, just a better understanding. I met so many diverse people and made friends for life, we struggled with the highs and lows together, and there's truly no one else in the world that understands my experience other than those that were there with me along the way.   Included in that are the staff of VAC, which were there to offer me guidance every step of the way, facilitating my experience, answering any questions, and helping me to make the best of my time in Cape Town. I came to Cape Town intending to give back to the world, but I think that what Cape Town has given me in the process is so much more. As I go back to my life in the states, I find myself a changed person with a much deeper understanding for humankind and the world around me. This experience has helped me to develop myself both personally and professionally and I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything. I can tell you all of the things that I did and what Ive learned, but I can't really help you to understand the whole of my experience. My suggestion& go experience it for yourself!

From the early preparations before arrival to the wrap up and goodbyes, the people at VACorps are incredibly approachable and accommodating. They provide a great support while working in a foreign environment. (Cape Town is an amazing place, and the VACorps team are passionate about sharing the unique aspects of the city. Aweh!

It seems impossible to summarize the past few months in a fifteen page paper complete with pictures, diagrams and videos. I know this, because I tried to do just that for a class back home. That paper didn't come close to doing my experience in Cape Town with Fly on the Wall and VAC justice. I think the best way to summarize the experience is by telling you who I was when I got on the United Flight out of Nashville, Tennessee headed 8,000 miles away for Cape Town, South Africa circa three months ago.    Getting on that plane I had never bungee jumped before, I have now done the highest bungee jump in the world. I hadn't mountain biked, swam with Crocs, hiked a Wonder of the World (Congrats Table Mountain), dove with sharks, been through anything like a township, worked for Red Bull, been on the set of a commercial or feature length documentary. I've done all those things now. I hadn't stumbled through Long Street and had yet to even know those friends that would be stumbling right alongside me even existed. In fact, I didn't have any friends who lived outside the US. I didn't know how to surf, thought I knew what robots were and had never had any of the projects I worked on shown on a big screen to over 2,000 screaming fans. I have now done all of these things thanks to my internship with through Volunteer Adventure Corps. It's the people that make the experience great. I'm so thankful I got on that plane.

I had very high expectations for my very first trip out of the country, but this summer in Cape Town has surpassed all of those expectations. I have to thank VAC for creating such a safe haven for me to feel comfortable enough to experience the city in its entirety. By the end of the trip, I can truly say that I've been able to experience Cape Town as a local. From traveling on the metro to suburbs like Mitchell's Plains to dance theatre shows at the Baxter Theatre to eating Samosa's at the corner shops, I've really had the opportunity to take advantage of the city like I had planned. Just as memorable, I will never forget the Friday field trips to the Cheetah Reservation, the hikes, wine tasting. My internship at Community Media Trust was more than beneficial as I got the chance to work and understand the film industry in Cape Town as well as the non-profit world. I couldn't ask for a more fulfilling internship experience. I even got the opportunity to shoot my own documentary exploring race relations in South Africa. I am very proud of my footage, but even more proud of the cultural understandings that I have left with. I have built friendships, networks, and an experience that could last my a lifetime in Cape Town!

Before coming to Cape Town, everyone asked me, Why Cape Town? Truth be told, I didn't really have an answer. Dissatisfied with the growing monotony of my life back in the states, I knew that I wanted to be somewhere far away. Growing restless with the homogeneity of my school, I wanted to immerse myself in a culture unlike my own. And having only been a tourist while visiting the world, I wanted to become a member of a community. Cape Town seemed to offer what I was looking for and, before I knew it, I was on a plane and outside my new home in Observatory.   In just eight weeks, Cape Town, VAC, and the company with which both keep have completely changed the way I see the world, traveling, working, and living. Cape Town, to me, is a city that does not rely on its history or past; rather, Cape Town is a city alive in its present. The culture, conflict, vibe, and beauty is accessible in such an immediate way that the city lives and breathes right along with you. Whether you are humbled by Table Mountain's sheer beauty and size every morning or by the friendly way in which you are greeted on the streets, Cape Town slowly chips away at any traces of monotony, homogeneity, and dissatisfaction until you are walking on your plane back home wondering how and when you became a different, better person.   VAC provided me with an opportunity unlike one I could have ever imagined. I was lucky enough to intern with an incredible organization, Afrika Tikkun, which allowed me to pursue both my personal and my professional goals. Everyone at VAC was so supportive, whether I needed help solving a problem or advice on where to travel after my internship. VAC attracts a crew of the most open, earnest, loving, adventurous and down to earth people I could have ever met. What started out as just a place on a map I wanted to escape to, Cape Town has become a home, with VAC as a family, which I need to return to.   So now, when people ask me, Why Cape Town? I have more answers than I know what to do with. To anyone who has to ask, the only answer I can really give is that you just have to see for yourself.

It's very hard to describe the profound effect my experience in Cape Town has had on me. I arrived here feeling anxious and overwhelmed and I'm leaving having fallen completely in love with this city and everything that comes with it, with a completely different perspective on life and heartbroken to leave. Every day brings new people and new experiences. My advice to future interns is to completely immerse yourself in life here; get to know the local way, make it your home. Go up Table Mountain and visit Robben Island - but also watch rugby games in smoky bars and go for sundowners on Signal Hill.   Both of my internships have offered me the opportunity to experience so many different sides to Cape Town. From feeling like a pro on taxis (just don't ask me to count out the change!), doing home visits in informal settlements to planning fundraising proposals to the United Nations - I feel like I can justify my love for this place because I have seen the best and worst that Cape Town has to offer.   You will meet amazing, like-minded and adventurous people here. The VAC team and other interns, the people you live with - they all become your closest friends and family, everyone is looking out for one another. VAC provide you with a safety net, letting you create your own experience here but knowing that you will be taken care of, getting time to know you before you arrive and for the whole time you're here.   So open yourself up to having the time of your life here, this will be the best thing you've ever done. Live for every day and grab the opportunities that present themselves. Remember that our time here will end so make the most of it. I have been so lucky to have this experience and I know it has completely changed the path I was on when I left England. I am leaving a huge part of myself in South Africa and I'm already planning a way to make it my home again.

Upon arriving in Cape Town, I was sure that I would change this place for the better. I had so much to offer and so much to say. Now I find myself silent, unable to express what VAC and  Cape Town truly mean to me. Its a feeling that excites every part of my being. Each person I've encountered has left a part of themselves with me and I appreciate them all for that.'   During my stay I worked for an NGO known as the Southern African Media and Gender Institute ( SAMGI)  which allowed me to see the struggles that South Africa faced but  managed to come so far in such a short period of time. I am amazed at how everyone here has a happiness about them that I feel we miss out on. I could not have asked for a better place to experience such wonderful people. Thank you for inviting me into your home South Africa and thank you for opening my eyes. This opportunity would not have been possible without VAC. It has forever left a mark on my journey that redefines how I see this remarkable part of the world.

There is only one Cape Town.   Cape Town was a place I'd dreamed of for a long time. It conjured up images of fine wine, the deep blue sea and the chance of a quick sail round the Cape of Good Hope. But never in my wildest dreams had I ever imagined that one day I might call it my home from home.  Until now, that is. A surprise conversation and emailed link and I found myself talking to VACorps, looking for the chance of becoming a journalist in Cape Town, South Africa.  A prospect that alarmed and excited me at the same time. As I am blind, my first thought was 'oh dear, that's not going to work.'  But VACorps open, friendly and can-do attitude had me won over in no less than three seconds.    So, to Cape Town I came, and in Cape Town I stayed for four months.  What I enjoyed most, I simply do not know, but it's a close call between eating sheep's head, shadowing a game ranger patrol, or exposing a security company who were beating up homeless people around the head. But what will always remain in my mind will be the diverse makeup of Cape Town, of a truly unique city.  Here the coloured people, black Africans and the white population rub shoulders, live together eat together and work in a harmony I have not even seen in England. In the same way that Cape Town is diverse, my South African friends are many and varied; the townships, the Big Issue office  (where I worked) and the Jewish group who took me under their wing. There is only one Cape Town and there, on the beaches with the Atlantic waves breaking against the shore, I have buried my heart.

I found VAC, ironically, through procrastination. Avoiding my homework, I searched on Google 'Medical Internships Abroad', and, if I remember correctly, VAC was the fourth hit. I never would have thought that clicking on that link would have resulted in such an incredible experience here in Cape Town. I have absolutely loved my time here in Cape Town. The city, even on its ugliest days is full of so much natural beauty. I think one of the things I will miss the most will be looking outside of my window every morning, and seeing TableMountain and Lion's Head in all of their glory. VAC, throughout this whole experience, has been incredible. I encountered trouble from the first moment I arrived in Africa (lost luggage) and VAC immediately put me at ease, and continues to do so. Through VAC, I have formed a second family full of members that reside all around the world, and I now have experiences and memories that will last me a lifetime. I cannot thank Sean, Oliver, and Vanessa, along with everyone else in VAC enough for their efforts, and for making this trip unforgettable.   My time spent working in the townships was amazing. I feel like it's not really possible to properly describe it using words. I gained so much medical exposure and experience, along with meeting some of the most genuine people I have ever met. The staff I worked with in the townships quickly grew to care deeply for us American interns, creating a very intimate and enjoyable work setting. The internships I had here were better than I could have ever imagined, and I am so incredibly grateful.   I am already trying to plan my next trip to Cape Town. I cannot wait to return to this beautiful city, and I wish the best of luck to all of VAC's current and future interns!