I am so grateful that Candi introduced me to Frances. With her help, I was able to truly get an internship that fit my learning desires. The program she made put me doing things that helped me gain more experience in the field of psychology I want to have a career in.

You won't ever get bored in South Africa: there's always markets and festivals going on! From the coffee festival to the beer festival, and from the Oranjezicht farmer's market to Old Biscuit Mill.

My favorite part of the whole experience was hanging out with the children. We had so much fun together, I can't put it into words. They were so energetic, skilled and curious. I don't think I'll ever meet cooler children in my life. We spent all day making each other laugh and learning so much from one another.

During my internship I was responsible for the program communications, blog posts and the Bright Green Newsletters. Greenpop is a small organization so I was able to be involved in a lot of things and have some responsibility. Shortly after I started, Greenpop launched their new program, Fynbos for the Future. I was part of the school selection process and set up the 10 school profiles for the website.

Many children don't eat enough fruit and vegetables and sometimes don't even eat them at all. I wanted to show them healthy food can be really tasty as well. It was actually amazing to see the children who previously did not like vegetables, really liked making and eating spinach and parsnip cookies. You can image making the children enthusiastic about healthy food was one of my favorite parts of the internship.

It was so amazing to have so much responsibility and I'm grateful that my supervisor let us be inc harge. In the end we were able to identify two leopards and found other elusive species which was very exciting.

Throughout the strike, I thought it might be a little too much work. However, as soon as you see the process of building up the terrain and seeing things working out, a feeling of satisfaction arises. Looking back at the job I did there, it fulfilled me with pride and satisfaction!

My three months of work were fueled through the everyday love and appreciation received down in the township. It also evoked a sense of responsibility towards new volunteer members. Working at the projects is a massive source of inspiration and motivation that carried me through my stay at the projects and my accommodation Yoga Shala.

For me, the setup of the office represents the Greenpop culture. It can be chaotic, quiet and thrilling, but it will always give you a sense of home. The Greenpop staff and interns are so involved with nature - all in their own way - and so intrinsically motivated to do something good for the world, one way or another. This was so evident that even from the Netherlands, preparing for my time abroad, I could tell that the organization would fit me like my favorite plants.

Walking into the Greenpop office was an experience like no other. It was like a breath of fresh air, and unlike any office I had ever come across before. The desks were made from old wooden pallets, there was an abundance of plants that lit up the room. I was lit up by smiling faces. So this, I thought, is the creative haven of an environmental NGO. It was exactly how I hoped it would be.

I would like to encourage other people who feel too old to give up their safe and settled life for a few months. Booking a ticket to Cape Town was the best decision of 2018. I am charged with new energy to find my dream job and have a clear goal to work on. I would love to build a life in South Africa and I will work on making this dream come true!

The impact on a micro level is generally only noticeable over the long term. Emiel acknowledges that when volunteering in an area like advocacy, "you have to realize that making an impact on a micro level is already very valuable at that moment for the individual client."

The Greenpop office runs on fresh coffee, stimulating conversations and breaks filled with colorful vegan lunches. There are meditation and Monday morning gratitude circles, and windows filled with sunny mountainv iews. There's even a puppy Toby, and a baby Arden. I am truly grateful to have experienced how positive and uplifting an office environment can truly be.

My time here has been an eye-opener and my perspective on a lot of things changed The internship made me independent and changed me in a good way. It's not easy to be so far away from home but I never really felt homesick. That's because everyone here in Cape Town is so friendly and kind. The city really stole my heart. I know for sure I will come back to South Africa.