The majority of people living below the poverty line are women. Many girls around the world are still denied a basic education and women continue to dominate the world’s illiterate population.
By supporting women in society and giving them access to equal opportunities such as an education, jobs and health care, everyone benefits. Infant mortality rates go down, more children stay in school, incomes increase and the cycle of poverty can be broken. Interning on this program, allows you to join a dedicated team of international interns assisting on sustainable and invaluable women’s empowerment initiatives.
Life on the Internship
Upon your arrival, you will receive an introductory orientation by the staff covering health and safety, a basic local language lesson, a tour of the township, an introduction to our local partners and some initial training to prepare you as much as possible for life on the project.
From Monday to Friday you will be working at your internship placement in the local community. Interns can expect to be involved in numerous facets of our women’s empowerment programme depending on the needs of the projects at that given time and as such, should be prepared to be flexible and adapt to changes in the field. From providing one-on-one educational lessons with girl children in local township schools, to hosting alternative income and health workshops around the community or working in local educational centres, all your time and effort will be geared towards uplifting the women of South Africa and providing long-term solutions to gender imbalance and discrimination.
Participants on this project will have the opportunity to help empower disadvantaged local women in the following ways:
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- Providing access to education, literacy skill, fulfilment of basic right, and furthering life skills
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- Hosting alternative income generation skills workshops
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- Providing additional educational support to young girls in local schools
How this project makes a difference
Through the various facets that this project focuses on, we are able to turn the tables on gender discrimination and highlight how gender parity is key to South Africa’s economic and social prosperity. By educating local women on family health, we can reduce infant and child mortality rates, thus creating healthier families and generations.
By giving women access to the same local resources as men such as an education, we can help more kids stay in school, thereby increasing the income threshold of that household, break the poverty cycle and help women become more financially independent.
*During the holiday time all participants will join Cape Town’s Holiday Library program
You may choose to take part in this program for either 6, 8, 10 or 12 weeks. Please contact us for more details.
