So it begins...

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Hi All! As many of you may already know, I have been accepted into an internship program with Volunteer Adventure Corp in Cape Town, South Africa. I am very very excited about this opportunity, but I need all of your help to make it happen! I am not departing for my adventure until June of 2012, but I want to get a head start on raising awareness about this project and getting the word out.  Volunteer Adventure Corps is a professional internship program located in Cape Town, South Africa. It is now widely acknowledged by both students and employers that internships (in Cape Town or anywhere around the world) are an essential part of any professional resume. The advantages of interning are innumerable. Internships give students exposure to real-time experiences that transcend the comfortable, theoretical boundaries of the typical classroom setting. Interns work alongside established professionals and meet mentors. Most importantly, interns get to preview a potential profession that they would otherwise be committing to without any prior experience. My INTERNSHIP is at Umtha Welanga. About Umtha Welanga: Umtha Welanga is a small community organization which offers a loving future to orphans in the sprawling township of Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Since they opened in 2000, they have enabled hundreds of children (both those infected and affected by AIDS) to move successfully into long term foster or extended family care. For many HIV+ or disabled children, institutional care has been seen as the only option for them. It is assumed that private individuals will not take on the emotional and medical responsibility of looking after these kids. However, Umtha Welanga has shown otherwise by pioneering an effective identification, training and support system for over 100 local foster and extended families living in Khayelitsha. I will be gone for approximately 12 weeks, Leaving in JUNE of next year. However, I have to start fundraising now because it is going to cost me about $6,000-8,000 American dollars. My fund raising will include : A silent Art Auction of all my Art Work You can buy my Art Designs on apparel and merchandise at: http://www.cafepress.com/halesitUP There will be plenty of parties and other numerous fundraisers to come as well. I will keep everyone updated!!! Thank you again for ALL of your support!