“VAC was a secure platform for me to live independently in a new city. More importantly, it gave me the opportunity to connect with the other amazing VAC participants doing the same. The people I shared my time in Cape Town with made my experience the magic that it was. I now have friendships that I’ll take with me beyond Cape Town into an unknown future. There was nothing forced or contrived in the VAC organizing, which made our time wonderfully organic and self-initiated. VAC has chosen a great location to house its interns. I fell in love with Obs, whose “bohemian” label fits quite aptly. Obs was a fun, exciting, homey launch pad into the gorgeous city of Cape Town.
“Through my internship at a small human rights advocacy NGO, I proved my own adaptability to new work environments. This has made me more confident about future career possibilities. Working abroad is also an extremely worthwhile way to get to know a new place—the people, the society, and the workings of CSOs in my case. After my work experience in Cape Town I feel much more prepared for whatever my place in the “global workforce” will be.
“I decided to spend my summer in Cape Town somewhat impulsively—I didn’t know much about the city or South Africa, but I wanted experience living and working abroad. Cape Town mysteriously came calling after I saw footage of the beautiful city in a Bollywood movie, and I am glad I answered. Cape Town is the perfect place to spend a few months abroad. The combination of comforting familiarity and complete strangeness compelled me to explore more of the city at every turn. The natural beauty, the warmth of the people, the fascinating albeit sordid past—it all comes together into a unique and unforgettable place. The silhouette of Table Mountain is etched into my mind in an irreversible way, as are the memories I’ve gathered at her feet.
“I have VAC to thank for a, yes, “life-changing,” time in Cape Town.”
-Jacqueline Braslow, pictured at the Cape of Good Hope.
My internship at St. Joseph’s Home for Chronically Ill and Disabled Children allowed me to utilize the skills I learned in my Human Services classes at my university, while giving me the freedom to take on new challenges that come...
Read More
Zoe joined the VACorps program in November 2022 and participated in an internship at a tech accelerator which assists and accelerates disruptive startups in Africa.
Read More
Lucia is studying biology (pre-vet) at the University of Oregon. She joined the VACorps Program in May 2019 and participated in a Conservation Internship. “I chose Cape Town as the place where I wanted an intern abroad because of the...
Read More