About the Organization

The Cape Town Refugee Centre is an NGO, established in 1994, with the aim of devising ways to address problems facing the growing number of refugees and asylum seekers in the Western Cape. It strives to improve the quality of life of refugees/asylum seekers by meeting their basic needs on short-term basis and enable them to become self-reliant and self sufficient through capacity building. It seeks to tackle the unique challenges facing refugees in Cape Town in the four areas of education, counseling and therapy, entrepreneurship and job creation. The centre also seeks to engage refugees/asylum seekers in the improvement of quality of their lives through capacity building, networking, lobbying, advocacy and integration into their host communities.

Job Description

Interns work in a combination of three areas: Psycho-Social Intervention, Business Administration and Educational Services. While applicants should indicate their preference, they should also recognize that the work culture at CTRC is such that interns and staff all chip in all areas as needed.

Interns working with the CTRC Psycho-Social Intervention Department will provide support to refugees trying to get established in Cape Town. Responsibilities may include working along side a CTRC psycho-social councilor while participating in therapy and counseling sessions, conducting various workshops run by the centre, and sitting in on meetings of the different support groups that the organization facilitates and manages.

A major part of the psycho-social intervention position involves refugee screening, where the newly arrived refugees seeking refugee status are interviewed and a case file is created. The intern, with the help of an interpreter as necessary, will ask the Refugee a series of questions about his or her family, reason for seeking refugee status in South Africa, and any immediate needs from the centre (food, medical attention, etc.). This screening process is used to determine whether the refugee has authentic and legitimate needs. Other tasks involve grant writing, administering food vouchers and assisting social workers with individual refugees.

The CTRC Educational Services Department internship involves working with CTRC social workers who educate refugees requiring additional training and educational services. Tasks and responsibilities may include enrolling refugee children in local schools and arranging after-school activities, enrolling students in English courses and ensuring school fees have been paid. Interns are not expected to assume teaching duties, but rather, a supporting role to social workers within the department.

The business administrative position entails assisting with daily administrative tasks, telephone communication and budgeting. Interns will handle the administration of petty cash and food vouchers, payments, banking and requisitions. Interns in this position will also be involved in preparing and submitting grant applications and other appeals for funding.

Occasionally, interns may have an opportunity to attend conferences related to refugee concerns or to conduct research on legal issues pertaining to refugees at the Refugee Legal Centre, based on the University of Cape Town.

# of Positions per term

2 per term

Start Dates

Any academic term

Duration of Internship

1-2 Terms

Academic Background

Psycho-Social Intervention: Psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science. Business Administration: Business administration, accounting, finance Educational Services: business, psychology, sociology, anthropology, education

Skills/Experience

All interns are expected to have an open mind and willingness to work and interact with refugees.

Language Ability

English. Interns with French language skills may be well-suited to working with refugees from francophone countries; Arabic and Swahili will greatly improve communication with refugees from central and east Africa.

Other Requirements

Total costs vary depending on how long you plan to be abroad, where you will be living, your personal spending habits, and current exchange rates. The following estimates will give you a ballpark figure for this internship. Get help with the math from our handy Cost Calculator.

IE₃ Program Fee

The program fee for the first term of any internship is $2,750 - $2,950. You do not pay tuition in addition to the program fee. Visit your University's IE₃ page for details, costs for additional terms, and campus administrative fees.

Estimated One-Time Expenses

Expense Type	Price
Host Site Fees	An additional fee of $1900 applies to this program, and covers accommodation, airport transfers, local orientation, internship management, 24-hour local support, and placement. IMPORTANT BUDGET NOTE: Due to limited housing availability during the 2010 World Cup, there will be an additional $42/week accommodation surcharge between May 30 and July 17, 2010.
International Travel	$1,800 Portland to Cape Town roundtrip
Visa Fees
Recommended Immunizations	$400

*See Additional Cost Information below.

Estimated Monthly Expenses

Expense Type	Price/month
Housing
Food	$300
Local Transportation	$100
Recreation	$150
Personal Expenses	$120

Compensation

None

Additional Expense Information

Interns will be accommodated in private student-oriented housing in the Observatory neighborhood. Interns will have a fully-furnished private room, kitchen and laundry facilities, 24-hour security and wireless internet connection. (Shared rooms are occasionally available at a lower cost.) Accommodation and local support is provided by Volunteer Adventure Corps. Interns will need to pay a $50 lease fee and a refundable $350 housing deposit upon arrival in South Africa.

Note: Students who have participated in Africa internships have suggested that interns may want to bring additional money so that they may participate more in uniquely African activities, such as visits to game parks, buying local clothing and crafts, contributing to local organizations, and bringing home gifts for friends and family. Therefore, depending on your interests, you may want to budget additional funds.

Visit the CTRC website at http://www.ctrc.co.za/mc/home.html

Interns will be living in Observatory, and will be supported by local host organization Volunteer Adventure Corps. Observatory, or “Obz” as locals call it, is one of the most exciting student neighborhoods in all of Cape Town. It features an eclectic sundry of nightspots and restaurants, and an atmosphere that is surprisingly cosmopolitan given its intimate size. Much of this unique vibe is attributed to the presence of many international visitors. It is not uncommon to overhear conversations in several different languages while walking along the street. Yet, Obz is also intrinsically South African. Living in Obz and experiencing its cultural and political vibes will help interns better understand, on a greater scale, the complexities of the “new” South Africa.

Observatory is popular among the international student/ volunteer community because it is located halfway between the city center and the False Bay coastline. Visitors have an endless selection of outdoor activities to choose from, such as hiking, surfing, scuba diving, golfing, outdoor concerts and wine tasting. Cape Town is surrounded by oceans and is home to many beautiful beaches! The city centre, known to Capetonians as the “bowl”, is the ideal place to go on cultural excursions.

Following are several student-produced videos about the internship opportunities in Cape Town through the IE3 program.