About the VACorps Internship Program

A closer look at the Volunteer Adventure Corps South African internship program

It is now widely acknowledged by both students and employers that internships (in Cape Town or anywhere around the world) are an essential part of any professional resume. The advantages of interning are innumerable. Internships give students exposure to real-time experiences that transcend the comfortable, theoretical boundaries of the typical classroom setting. Interns work alongside established professionals and meet mentors. Most importantly, interns get to preview a potential profession that they would otherwise be committing to without any prior experience.

The Volunteer Adventure Corps was founded, in part, to satisfy a growing demand for practical internships in Cape Town, South Africa. As our motto goes, by interning in South Africa, you are doing ‘something exceptional for your resume.’ Any one of our diverse selection of VACorps-sponsored internships is guaranteed to catch the attention of a potential employer. Yet, we felt it necessary to offer our participants more than the basic internship placement services offered by other placement agencies. Considering that Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, we also wanted to ensure that our participants experience all that the city has to offer. So we challenged ourselves to create a curriculum that combines professional exposure with an African adventure. Under our guided watch, no participant will waste a single day in South Africa.

VACorps is also the proud partner of IE3 Global Internships, a program based in the Pacific Northwest. If you are a student at one of the following schools, please refer to the IE3 homepage to learn more about how you can receive a semester's worth of credits by participating in one of our VACorps-sponsored internships in South Africa. Schools affiliated with IE3 include:

University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Western Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, Portland State University, Eastern Oregon University, Lane Community College, University of Washington, Central Washington University, Western Washington University, University of Utah, and University of Alaska.

Visit the IE3 Website here:

We are also members of NAFSA: The Association of International Educators. NAFSA is the leading professional association promoting the exchange of students and scholars to and from the United States.

In 2007 we formed an academic partnership with the Pacific University School of Occupational Therapy. Should you be a student enrolled in this program and be interested in a summer internships abroad, then please contact Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Sandra Pellham-Foster, to learn more about how you can receive credit by participating in our professional internship program.

But who are the individuals behind the Volunteer Adventure Corps?

Oliver Hagan
Director of Applications and Outreach

Oliver graduated from the University of Oregon in 2005 with a BA in Journalism and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society. Oliver’s path to Cape Town originated when he decided to spend his junior year studying abroad at the University of Cape Town through CIEE. From his first few days in the country, Oliver fell in love with his surroundings. It is for this very reason that he feels so strongly about providing VACorps participants with the necessary support and information to have a memorable overseas experience. His personal volunteer experiences include teaching English to fifth graders in the Khayelitsha Township and working as a writing tutor for students speaking English as a second language. Oliver has a working knowledge of several South African languages, including Xhosa and Afrikaans. When not engaged in VACorps affairs, Oliver can be found surfing one of Cape Town's many amazing waves.

Contact Oliver at: oliver@vacorps.com

Sean Walpole
Director of Placement and Operations

Sean Walpole graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2002 with a Bachelor of Social Science in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Sean is a South African with extensive experience working with international students and university professors and describes his position at the VACorps as his dream job. Sean has a passion for travel and an insatiable desire for exploration. Since 2001, Sean has organized and led trips to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and along the Garden Route in South Africa. He provides all logistical support for university faclutly-led programs in South Africa facilitated by VACorps (see our Faculty-Led South Africa website for more information). In his spare time, Sean has also managed to teach more than 150 people to SCUBA dive! He is one of the most enthusiastic, hard-working individuals you will ever meet!

Contact Sean at:  sean@vacorps.com

Jon Wilson
Director of Local Support

Jon is a South African who has lived in Cape Town his entire life and has a comprehensive undertanding of the city. He is responsible for overseeing finalized internship placements and heads up our on-the-ground support network. Jon is a reservist in the South African Police Service (SAPS) and gives the safety and security briefing during each new participant's arrival orientation. In his leisure time, Jon enjoys SCUBA diving and hiking.

Contact Jon at: jon@vacorps.com

Sly Nyelimane
Program Assistant/ Transportation Logistics

Sly is the first and last face you will see in South Africa! He responsible for the coordination of all our participant airport transfers and also assists with special program transportation arrangements. Sly was raised in Bloemfontein, South Africa before moving to Cape Town as a teenager. Prior to joining VACorps, Sly worked in the South African film industry as a Production Manager with Magic Mountain Film Productions. He enjoys going to gym and encourages any future VACorps participants needing a gym buddy to contact him.

Gabriela Farias
Applications & Placements Coordinator/Marketing

Gabriela is a graduate from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, with a BS in Human and Organizational Development, concentrating on International Leadership and Development.  Originally from Heath, Ohio, Gabriela first came to Cape Town in January 2008 as a participant of a service-learning program that gave her the opportunity to work in Khayelitsha at Manyano High Scool teaching subjects including English and Arts & Culture.  This initial experience in South Africa led to her love for the country, and her determination to return for longer.  After a second trip back in March 2009 as a part of a group that resurrected a library in Manenberg Primary School, Gabriela returned in August 2009 as a part of the VACorps team.  She enjoys music, volunteering, traveling, adventure, and the great outdoors. If you're looking for fun, interesting opportunities in the city, feel free to contact her!

Contact Gabriela at: gabriela@vacorps.com

Andrew Ndwanya
Program Assistant/ Community Outreach & VAC FC soccer coach

As a native South African, Andrew will become your guide to Cape Town. In addition to giving interns a public transportation orientation when they arrive, Andrew is also the VACorps soccer coach and events planner. He is most famous among interns for coordinating weekend trips to Mzolis and other places in the townships. Andrew has a very easygoing and hospitable personality, and will go out of his way to make interns feel comfortable in his home country.

Ivy Ndwanya
Program Assistant/ Language Teacher & Cultural Development

Ivy was born and raised in Cape Town, and is proudly South African! She is famous among VACorps interns because of her amazing cooking skills, especially when it comes to preparing authentic South African meals. She is the coordinator of VACorps cooking classes and serves as the chef during VACorps faculty-led programs in South Africa. In addition to showing interns how to make fabulous South African cuisine, Ivy teaches VACorps Xhosa lessons (Xhosa is one of South Africa's 11 official languages), hosted on a weekly basis at the VACorps office. Ivy's great personality is contagious and she inspires every intern to dive into South African culture!

Keryn Barnes
Program Assistant/ Applications

Keryn grew up in Johannesburg and graduated in 2004 from Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape with a BSoc Sci in Economics and Organisational Psychology. She has a passion for food and cooking and spent a year studying cordon bleu cooking after her degree.  She then went on to work a ski season in Switzerland and worked a year in the UK. She has a love of travel and exploration, as well as for Cape Town and all it has to offer. In her leisure time, she enjoys yoga, SCUBA diving, jewellery design and baking.

Contact Keryn at: keryn@vacorps.com

Vanessa Randon
Program Assistant/ Adventure Consultant

Originally from JHB, and schooled in Grahamstown, Vanessa's family lives in the small town of Plettenbergbay up the Garden Route. She has an undergraduate degree from UCT in Marine Science and a Postgrad in Physical Oceanography. After University she worked as a Scuba Diving instructor in the Bahamas and then moved to Mozambique where she lived and worked also as an instructor for a year. She is recently an aunt and the proud owner of a 7 month old Jack Russel puppy called Bubbles. She have been with VACorps since March/April and loving working for the program! Vanessa is a key coordinator for our annual Mozambique trips, and guarantees that going is the adventure of a lifetime. For all queries about these Mozambique holidays, and all other adventure needs, feel free to contact her!

Contact Vanessa at: vanessa@vacorps.com