New Interns Arrive Next Week

May 23, 2013 (14:05)

     I have now been working for Africa Media for nearly two months. I absolutely love the job and love what I'm doing, but I'm ready for the internship to begin with. I have been working in the office everyday from 7:30 a.m. until nearly seven in the evening and I'm ready to get out and write some stories. For the past two months I have been in charge of organizing the upcoming internship including scheduling, travel destinations, and organization of guest speakers I have been collecting and maintaining relationships with contributing writers, sending out emails and collecting daily updates for our program's social media sites. I have been designing videos, newsletters, analytic reports and magazine templates. I have written stories, interviewed staff members and started a magazine database for every magazine located within South Africa. I have pretty much done everything involved with sitting in front of a computer and now I'm ready to go out and write about some amazing things.
          Next week my interns arrive. I'm super excited. We are getting our van this week, meaning I am that much closer to getting out and seeing more of South Africa. The office is nice, but I know I'm not supposed to sit in front of a desk all day. It's time for me to go out and experience some more Africa.
          I did find out I will hopefully be able to make a little money while I'm here. Because South Africa is such a major tourism "hotspot," my boss Cassie and I will be pitching possible story ideas to magazines and online content sites in the U.S. The goal is for us to pick one of the incredible things to do here every week, pitch a story idea to the states and arrange a "trade" agreement with the various locations around South Africa for our accommodations to be covered in exchange for the publicity to the U.S. Because I am technically considered a volunteer, I cannot be paid in South Africa or risk deportation, but getting paid from the states to write a story about any number of the unbelievable safaris, parks, beaches, etc. is perfectly within the law. I'm hoping this will kill a number of birds with one stone.
1.) Experience in Travel Writing
2.) Experience in Environmental Journalism
3.) Income
4.) Free Housing/Accommodations throughout South Africa
5.) Unforgettable Experiences.

I really hope it works. I'm in South Africa; might as well take advantage while I can.