IFRE's HIV/AIDS project facilitates educational outreach and supports terminally ill patients (adults and children) with at-home care and offers counseling and emotional support to affected family members. Children often suffer the most. Often they have no one to talk to, and in some situations children suffer because there is no one to communicate on their behalf. They do not always understand why they have lost their parent(s).

Local HIV/AIDS projects are fully supported by schools, churches, local clinics, Social Services and the district office of Social Development, as well as UNICEF. Interns will assist caretakers and work with HIV/AIDS support groups. Each support group is supervised by a group facilitator. Support groups run their own awareness programs. They present motivational talks at the prisons, juvenile centers, churches and any awareness events. Interns also help promote workshops addressing how to live with a positive HIV/AIDS diagnosis and the legalities and human rights concerns surrounding HIV/AIDS patients.

NNo specific qualifications are required of interns wishing to participate in the HIV/AIDS internship project in South Africa . However, applicants should have a focused interest and passion for public community outreach and other healthcare-related activities. Interns are expected to be flexible as public outreach rarely adheres to consistent daily schedules.

Interns will provide care to HIV/AIDS infected patients and engage the community in educational and training activities created to increase awareness and halt the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa . Interns may utilize therapeutic story-telling to develop coping skills in survivors and families, dependent on circumstances. Interns also help children with their schoolwork and participate in family conferences. Other internship duties include:

IFRE arranges accommodations and food (3 local meals/day) for the duration of your internship project. During orientation and training program, interns stay in our hostel in Cape Town . Our hostel is located in the heart of the city giving interns easy access to all parts of the city. Interns stay with a host family (aka “homestay”) during the internship program. Our host families are socially respected and are well versed in the art of hosting international interns. Host families offer a safe home, private rooms (occasionally rooms will be shared with other same-gender interns) and shared bathroom facilities with running water.

Interns will receive three meals of South African cuisine each day. Breakfast normally consists of cereal and toast; lunch is packed to take to your project and dinner is a nutritious home cooked local meal (meat & vegetables, rice or potatoes & salad). Host families provide typical meals that are traditional to South Africa .. Throughout the internship project, our local staff stays in contact with interns either with face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. IFRE's main office is in Cape Town and our in-country coordinator serves as a point of contact for local interns. If project placement is very far from our main office, then our local staff members maintain communication by email and/or phone and the local project director will serve as a intern's contact. Upon program placement, personal placement documents provide specific details of accommodations and project.