Staff Interview with Lucie Hett

What inspired you to co-found Bridging Gaps?

I have been working in the tourism, internship and volunteering industries for the past six years and have witnessed the incredible impact that passionate, international students have on local organisations and communities here in Cape Town. I’ve also had the pleasure of experiencing how a meaningful internship or volunteering experience can impact the life and future career of a student. I’ve also experienced first hand the challenges of moving to Cape Town and how difficult it can be to make a valuable contribution to local initiatives. I, therefore, wanted to create an organization which facilities all of the above in the most positive, meaningful and enjoyable way possible.

Tell us about your current role as a Mentor.

I have a relationship with our interns and volunteers from the first time they contact us to find out more information about our programmes. Through regular communication, I work closely with them to find them the best suitable placement in a local organisation that we partner with, arrange the most comfortable accommodation based on their needs and preferences and generally help them plan their ideal Cape Town adventure! As well as guiding them through all pre-trip preparations, alongside the rest of our team here in Cape Town, I support our interns throughout their time here. From meeting them at the airport, to showing them around their accommodation and local area, introducing them to other interns, taking them to work, showing them some of Cape Town’s best local hangout spots, providing extensive internship and academic advice, accompanying them to appointments and providing cultural and health and safety training. Providing personal, all inclusive and meaningful support is at the centre of our programmes.

What was your initial vision for Bridging Gaps and how have you continued to work towards it since its founding?

Two of the main reasons we started Bridging Gaps was to provide local organisations with passionate, hard working and dedicated interns to assist them in their work. The second was to provide unrivalled personal support to visitors to Cape Town. We started off by working with a small group of local organisations, providing them interns in very specialised areas. Our partnerships have grown significantly and we now work closely with over 400 local organisations in over 25 industries. The support we provide our programme participants has remained as personal as when we had our first intern here, but the range of services that we provide and programme benefits that we offer have increased hugely. We have taken all the feedback we receive from our interns, and used all the experiences we have had in Cape Town, to develop our programmes and offerings into something we are very proud of.

How does your own African and gap year experiences influence you in your work today?

I have experienced first hand what it is like to arrive to a foreign country where you know noone, the culture is unfamiliar, the differences in how things work are daunting and meeting the right people to enable you to make a positive impact on local projects is extremely difficult. The whole experience can be totally overwhelming. At Bridging Gaps we place huge value on being welcomed into a friendly community of local people who will guide and support you step by step as you settle into life in Cape Town and introduce you to other like-minded people to share the experience with. We also understand the importance of facilitating meaningful opportunities with local organisations and projects where the work our programme participants take part in is challenging, impactful, sustainable and valuable.

Why is Cape Town an ideal location?

Cape Town is one of the most dynamic, vibrant, beautiful and friendly cities in the world and it really does have something for everyone. The climate here is beautiful pretty much all year round, the local people are some of the most welcoming, passionate and charismatic in the world, the culture is colourful and loaded with important history, there’s an unrivalled amount of activities to do and places to visit and the local organisations here value and need the assistance of hard-working interns and volunteers so much.

What do you hope participants take away from Bridging Gaps programs?

It’s crucial to us that our interns and volunteers have a meaningful and enriching experience in the local organisations that we place them in. Our aim is to ensure that they have made a valuable contribution to local initiatives and the work of their host company. We also want them to have achieved as many of their personal, professional and/or academic goals as possible. We hope that they leave Cape Town with new friends for life from all over the world, with connections in their chosen career field, and with meaningful relationships with local people. We also want them to leave with the most incredible memories of Cape Town, having ticked off everything on their bucket list, with a thorough understanding of the history and culture of South Africa, and exciting adventures to tell their friends and family back home about!

Why do you think it’s important for individuals to travel and experience new cultures?

I think travelling to new countries and experiencing new cultures is a privilege and one of the most life changing and enriching things that anyone can do. Travel is about learning. Learning about the importance of different cultural traditions, learning about why people do things differently, learning about history, learning about how our lives today impact the future of different people and places, learning from and about local people, learning about ourselves, learning about our futures, learning about the environment… the list is endless. Travelling to new places is humbling, eye opening and exciting and it is the most effective way to gain perspective and grow personally. 

Why would you recommend for individuals to consider a gap year?

Taking a Gap Year takes careful consideration and it definitely is not the right path for everyone. However, people can benefit hugely from taking a year out to travel if they plan and use their time effectively. Some of the main benefits from taking a gap year are:

• You can increase your international and cultural awareness and gain a better understanding of different cultures and practices. 
• You can build lifelong relationships with and learn from people from all over the world.
• You can visit some of the most beautiful, extreme and historical places on earth and take part in once in a lifetime activities.
• It’s an incredible way to work on your personal development, challenge yourself, experience independent living and step completely out of your comfort zone. 
• It’s the perfect chance to support local economies, help in need communities and positively contribute to the conservation of local environments.
• It can help you make more informed decisions about your career or educational path. 
• Through the people you meet and experiences you have, you can create new and exciting opportunities for yourself.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

Meaningful travel means making educated and responsible decisions which only impact your destination in a positive way. It means investing your skills, knowledge or time to help local initiatives and communities. It means being totally aware of the impact that you have and can have on the places that you visit. It also means enriching your own life through learning about and immersing yourself in the culture of a new place, learning about and building relationships with local people and learning about and challenging yourself.

What hopes do you have for the future of Bridging Gaps?

We would love to start Bridging Gaps in another country where help from passionate interns and volunteers is really needed. We love building relationships with new local partners and working closely with them to see how we can provide them with people to contribute to their work in the best way possible. We love seeing the positive impact that dedicated international interns and volunteers can have on local initiatives and people. We also love a new adventure and experiencing life in another country, meeting new people, learning about new cultures and overcoming new challenges.