Lauren (pictured on the right) has her doctorate in Public Health and is currently studying towards a Post Graduate Certificate of Law (Human Rights) from the University of London. She joined the VACorps human Rights Program in October 2020 as a remote intern and traveled to Cape Town in February 2021 to complete her internship on-site.
“I started my internship with VACorps remotely (due to difficulties traveling Coronavirus) for four months before moving on-site to complete my work. I was interning with the human rights program helping to deliver domestic violence prevention programs. Initially, I chose to intern in Cape Town with VACorps due to the relevancy of the project with my career goals (in this regard, my placement was superb) and the exciting opportunity to travel and be immersed in another culture and way of life. I really enjoyed my project and felt like I was listened to, well supported, and allowed to explore the projects that helped me reach my internship goals.
What I was not expecting was the amazing activities and culture series that VACorps provided. They were a really nice way to get to do some fun activities and explore the beautiful sites that Cape Town has to offer. Kholi, Kuselwa, and Leanne at VACorps were very supportive and did their best to make sure that everyone felt happy and comfortable. I really appreciated their help and friendship upon arrival in Cape Town, meeting them was a very warm welcome to town. I did the Xhosa lessons with Kholi, which I would highly recommend. She gave me a really nice understanding of the language in a fun and thoughtful way.
All in all, I loved my time in Cape Town. The internship was everything I had hoped for and I believe it will help to kick off my career. Cape Town is truly beautiful and has something for everyone to explore, with beautiful hiking, beaches, and loads of interesting history. The local people and staff at VACorps are super friendly and make you feel right at home. I’d highly recommend this internship program!”
Meet our most recent VACorps program alumni:
Laila Wheeler, California, USA (2023)
Laila Wheeler is studying Public Affairs, Education, and Sociology at the University of California Los Angeles. She participated in a human rights internship from June - August of 2023. "Traveling to Cape Town was genuinely [...]
Innogen Naylor, Vermont, USA (2023)
Innogen joined the VACorps Program as part of her Gap Year in January 2023 and participated in an internship at a local school for learners from Zimbabwe who are attempting to integrate into the South [...]
Avital Strauss, Illinois, USA (2023)
Avital joined the VACorps PRogram as part of her Gap Year in January 2023 and participated in an internship at an NGO that supports and serves underprivileged communities in one of Cape Town's townships. [...]
William Monkarsh, California, USA (2023)
Will joined the VACorps Program in January 2023, as part of his GAP year, and participated in an internship at an eco-tourism company in Cape Town. "My experience with VAC has definitely been life-changing. [...]
Clancy Erickson, North Carolina, USA (2022)
Clancy recently completed her BA in Human Services Studies at Elon University. She joined the VACorps program in September 2022, and participate in an internship at an NGO that supports refugees in Cape Town. [...]
Dylan DeRosa, New York, USA (2023)
Dylan joined the VACorps program in January 2023 as part of his Gap Year and participated in a human rights law internship. "Cape Town and the VACorps have provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience [...]
