Ben (pictured far left) joined the VACorps program in February 2021 as part of his GAP year and will be studying at Washington University in the fall.  He participated in a sustainable development internship at an urban farm in Cape Town. 

“I decided to take a gap year pretty late in the summer, and due to that decision, I did not plan very well. In the fall, I visited family and worked in Norway, but I knew that I wanted to find something more exciting and I wanted to travel to a new country. So I decided to look for some gap year programs, and VACorps seemed like the best fit for me. As they helped me get set up in Cape Town with an internship, housing, and activities, but we were also given the freedom to explore the city and have fun. It was also nice to know that if I got into any trouble, VAC would help me out and make sure I was well taken care of. Orientation week was amazing, I was able to get a sense of the city. Also, the support from the VACorps staff was great, and I was well taken care of.I have had plenty of memorable experiences here, from going on a safari in Kruger, surfing at Muizenberg, going up to Table Mountain, and also plenty of memories from working on Manelisi’s Urban Farm. At the farm, I worked with two other interns and we made a pretty sizeable impact. We were able to help them start their sizeable renovation, help them with their daily tasks, and it was also an opportunity to learn more about the people on the farm, their background, and also make meaningful connections. Finally, Cape Town was a beautiful city, I will miss it a lot and hopefully, I will come here again.”