Life changing experience in Cape Town. Past Review
By Kylie W (PSYCHOLOGY., University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 01/31/2013 to 04/30/2013 with
Connect-123: Cape Town - Volunteer/Intern in South Africa
I worked with kids everyday who were out of mainstream schooling. Most were homeless or in shelters. 92% of the school had been raped or sexually abused in their life And nearly all were on or being treated for their addiction to crystal meth, or Tic they call it. The ages of the kids were just 10-14 years old. I was able to interact and make a difference and taught them English literacy ( average reading level was 6 yr old) and helped institute a new curriculum. Life changing .
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Because mine was an internship, I didn't deal with them much but if I did have a problem with my site, they seemed more important with maintaining a good relationship with my site than my happiness in my duties and the money I paid them to do their job . |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Nice apartments |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
So cheap living there and it was cool you live with other American interns in the apartments. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Didn't feel safe a lot of the times. Apartment was in a bit of a sketchy location. Friends of mine got robbed or mugged at knife point. Luckily nothing bad happened to me. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Even going out to eat and drink is so cheap but you find yourself doing it a lot. a lot. So just be aware. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The dress code for internship. Was never really told. Also more information about my internship they could do a better job with that. I wish I would've brought stuff to donate to organizations in need! |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
