During my time in Cape Town I completed a 4-week internship for an NGO partnering with big business in order to progress goals set under the Sustainable Cape Town 2030 Vision. The internship provided me with an opportunity to explore how sustainable initiatives are being implemented from both bottom-up and top-down approaches. It also highlighted the challenges of achieving sustainability in a country with different political concerns than what I am used to. Through my host organization I was able to make contact with a range of stakeholders including government, renewable energy developers, advisory bodies, regional action groups and other NGOs. Connect-123 helped to make the experience memorable, the organised social events were great and I found the team to be energetic and helpful. Overall my internship allowed me to gain valuable practical skills in applying learnt theory to real world situations. Cape Town is a great place to better grasp the intricacies behind realizing sustainable development.

I know that when I go back to the States I will be asked, “So how was South Africa?” I’ve been wondering what I could possibly say to that, and I think I’ve found an answer that is unfortunately as broad as the question itself. “It was everything.” Think of an adjective and it was Cape Town – stunning, exhilarating, challenging, painful, hilarious, breathtaking, terrifying, comforting, emotional, etc, etc, etc. I’ve built a life here, and life is full of everything.

Looking back, I would not trade my experience in Connect for anything. It was a beautiful opportunity to befriend and live with people from all over the world while still becoming part of the local South African community. I worked at a literacy organization for at-risk children. The organization operates in five schools around Cape Town. I became a “link” at one of the schools, which means that I ran the daily operations of the Literacy Centre at that school. I coordinated over 50 incredible volunteers and 76 adorable children and had the time of my life. The children are tutored twice a week and usually have more one-on-one time with their literacy mentor than with any other adult in their educational life. It was amazing to see the changes in the children over my six months and to be given such great responsibility in the organization. Sometimes significant responsibility can mean a stressful working environment, but I always felt supported and loved as part of the team. Connect led me to what truly was my perfect internship situation, and I know that my experience will follow me throughout my life.  If you’re questioning coming to this incredible place, don’t. There is a depth here that sinks into you, and I’ve met so many people that come here and end up staying. Whether or not you decide Cape Town is the place you wish you could spend your life, however, I promise you’ll have a blast, grow in ways you never imagined and go home with amazing stories to tell.

My time in Cape Town was absolutely priceless, and I owe so much to Connect for making it happen.  I graduated from college in 2006 and was working the crazy corporate life for three and a half years when I realized I needed a change of pace.  I decided to take two months off and spend them in an exotic land doing something that I’ve always wanted to do.  In came Connect 123 — they were able to set me and my girlfriend up with amazing internships in the amazing city that is Cape Town.  I worked at a small non-profit business school that provided free tertiary business education for underprivileged students.  Part of the institute’s mission was also to provide business mentorship to ambitious entrepreneurs from economically marginalized communities through its Entrepreneurship Centre.  As an intern at the Enterpreneurship Centre, I had an amazing opportunity to leverage from my experience in a large financial corporation to provide valuable business training and mentorship to some fascinating people.  Of the projects I undertook, one was helping a young man from the Kayelitscha township who owned his own party equipment rental business develop a way to track his finances appropriately.  Working independently and in collaboration with the entrepreneur and the director of the Enterpreneurship Centre, I taught him basic financial and accounting concepts and ultimately developed a financial model that he now uses to determine the profits and losses of his company – which he can ultimately use to make vital business decisions.  Another entrepreneur I worked with had a catering business, but he had difficulty figure out how to get the word out to potential customers about his services.  I worked with him to develop a marketing strategy that he could use to reach his target customers.  This involved teaching him basic marketing concepts and helping him determine graphic designs for his menus and business cards that were most appealing to attracting customers.

Overall, the experience was something I would not trade for anything.  Though I only interned there for 6 weeks, I feel I made a lasting impact on many of the entrepreneurs who I mentored there.  Moreover, I made lasting friendships with many of the staff, students, and other interns who were part of the school and entreprenership centre.  Without the help of Connect 123, I would never have been connected to this amazing organization.