My Cape Town experience was definitely the highlight of my summer! Leaving my comfort zone and taking the adventurous risk to live in a different country where the culture is somewhat different from what I am used to was worth it. Connect-123 helped in bringing young vibrant people together to have a summer experience like never before. From hosting various activities such as a wine tasting and karaoke nights to hiking up table mountain. I also managed to establish the most amazing friendships with people from different places. Connect-123 also gave me the opportunity to engage with the local Cape Tonians and not just others on the programme through the various recommended trips. Two places in Cape Town that I will recommend to future interns has to be the Old Biscuit Mill, which is a food market open every Saturday, and Mzolis which is a Braai (BBQ) hosted in the Guguletu township every Sunday. You get to see another side of Cape Town and experience the oh-so-glorious beef and house music. The most important aspect of the Connect-123 experience is the internship programme. The Connect-123 team was helpful in placing me in an organization which mirrored what I was interested in and helped me gain more insight into what the working world is like. This was such an exciting opportunity as I got to work with other international people as well as the local South Africans. I worked for an organization which monitored Parliamentary meetings. I typed up the minutes of these meetings and through this experience I was able to network with many different Parliamentary members, for me this was very vital as such connections go a long way in the future. The Connect-123 team were able to make each and every one of us feel at home. I can confidently say I am more street wise. Most importantly if there were any problems, someone on the Connect-123 team was always willing to help to make my experience worthwhile. Cape Town is a place that everyone must experience and of course you have the awesome Connect-123 team to guide you every step of the way.
