My time in Cape Town has awakened me to take notice of the problems South Africa faces regarding migrant and refugee rights. It’s truly been a reality check. The articles about problems in different parts of the world regarding refugees and migrants have become more of a general statement in the everyday newspaper. When I started my internship, I was suddenly sitting across from people with real problems and asking for help, which can be quite confronting. If I look at the impact I can personally make, it would be no more than at a micro-level. I can only make...My time in Cape Town has awakened me to take notice of the problems South Africa faces regarding migrant and refugee rights. It’s truly been a reality check. The articles about problems in different parts of the world regarding refugees and migrants have become more of a general statement in the everyday newspaper. When I started my internship, I was suddenly sitting across from people with real problems and asking for help, which can be quite confronting. If I look at the impact I can personally make, it would be no more than at a micro-level. I can only make a difference in a one-on-one situation for the person who is sitting directly in front of me. This often means that I make clients aware of the importance of certain documents that they need in order to help them further. However, I also call schools to explain someone’s situation resulting in a child being able to get access to education the next day. If you hear that your effort made things work out, it gives you a feeling of satisfaction. See More Advocacy & Human Rights Internship, South Africa
This internship has been unforgettable and has played a large role in my professional development. The people I worked with are passionate about supporting students and are driven to achieve the most positive outcomes for the beneficiaries of the project. I helped teach Digital Literacy training and prepare migrant/refugee students for specialized degree programs, along with assisting with employment access and professional development of students who have completed their degrees. I gained a lot of experience and knowledge from my internship in Cape Town, which is something I would not have learned from a classroom setting. I plan to continue...This internship has been unforgettable and has played a large role in my professional development. The people I worked with are passionate about supporting students and are driven to achieve the most positive outcomes for the beneficiaries of the project. I helped teach Digital Literacy training and prepare migrant/refugee students for specialized degree programs, along with assisting with employment access and professional development of students who have completed their degrees. I gained a lot of experience and knowledge from my internship in Cape Town, which is something I would not have learned from a classroom setting. I plan to continue working in the nonprofit sector in my career. This internship showed me the background of how organizations are run and the kind of admin needed for success. See More Prajna, South African – George Washington University
Migrant & Refugee Charity Internship, South Africa
I loved what I did during my internship through my office-based assignments focused on refugee empowerment and research. I was finally able to use the skills I had gained during my studies to do something important, and I was developing myself in the process as well. I learned many new things that I know will come in handy in all aspects of adult life. Furthermore, I gained valuable experience in both research as well as in working with an NGO. Working with this organization gave a good perspective on how things work within a nonprofit and that was very valuable...I loved what I did during my internship through my office-based assignments focused on refugee empowerment and research. I was finally able to use the skills I had gained during my studies to do something important, and I was developing myself in the process as well. I learned many new things that I know will come in handy in all aspects of adult life. Furthermore, I gained valuable experience in both research as well as in working with an NGO. Working with this organization gave a good perspective on how things work within a nonprofit and that was very valuable for me. As they work with a vulnerable population, I developed important skills such as how to talk about sensitive things and communicate with people who don't speak your language. Always being busy with different tasks was interesting and allowed me to learn various new skills which made the whole experience very rewarding. I was in Cape Town for five months, and it was one of the best times of my life. I learned so many new things, and made many great friends for life! I definitely recommend doing an internship with Roots, as you’ll be guaranteed to have a good time and add an interesting experience to your resume! See More Migrant & Refugee Charity Internship, South Africa