OFF-GRID STRENGTH
OFF-GRID STRENGTH INTERNATIONAL
Build Strength. Live Off-Grid for a life beyond the grid
PEOPLE
COMMUNITIES
IMPACT
ABOUT US
OUR MOTIVATION
Building strength to live a life with purpose
We are building strength with purpose, so that we can build our lives in the same way.
No matter where you are in the world, your experiences, or the resources you have, we believe you have the strength within you to build a life that is empowering.
Off-Grid Strength was founded in 2021 when Charné and Carenna made the decision to leave their life in the city behind in hopes of building strength and an empowering life off-grid in the rural Eastern Cape of South Africa. In the city, they ran large sport events in one of the biggest townships in South Africa, Khayelitsha, but food security made it difficult for many kids to attend consistently. This reality, among many other challenges, led the pair to set their sights on rebuilding sport for development initiatives on a foundation of sustainable food gardens that would fuel these efforts for many years to come. This led the pair to sell their home in the city, buy a piece of barren land in the rural Eastern Cape, and use their skills to build a life on a foundation of food security, surrounded by sport for development initiatives that will have a genuine impact on the community around them.
WHO WE ARE
CHARNÉ
Charné has a diploma in Sport Management and over 10 years of experience working in sport, community development, and facility management. Her work included practical community projects, sport and recreation events in underserved areas as well as international stadium operations at a major sport facility. As she worked her way up the corporate ladder in the city, she felt something was missing in her life. When she met Carenna in 2017, they immediately began talking about how they could create impact through sport. In 2018 they started their own nonprofit coaching field hockey in the Khayelitsha township, one of the biggest townships in the country. The pandemic opened her eyes to changes that needed to be made in her life and the lives around her. In 2021 she made the decision to leave her high paying job in exchange for the opportunity to create a life with purpose. Since leaving the city she has found purpose in building and managing a small homestead in rural South Africa along with a food garden at a school in the area. She dreams of creating genuine food security on this homestead and in her rural community so that she can lead sport for development initiatives with her wife, Carenna, that have a genuine impact in the world.
CARENNA, M.S., CSCS
Carenna has a Master’s degree in Sport Science from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Coaching from Shippensburg University in the United States, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association in the United States. She developed a passion for sport in high school that led her to receive scholarships to participate in both field hockey and track and field at Shippensburg University. As a university athlete she won seven conference championships in track and field and one National Championship in field hockey. She worked one year as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at a university in the United States before deciding to continue her studies abroad. In 2017 she flew to South Africa for the first time and never looked back. Her Master’s degree at Stellenbosch University focused on sport for development in the Kayamandi Township. During this time, she volunteered for multiple sport for development initiatives in similar contexts, met Charné, and in 2018 they began leading their own field hockey program in Khayelitsha. They led these efforts until the world shut down in 2020, and big decisions had to be made.
International Internship
Our international internship differs from many opportunities in existence as it focuses on creating a genuine opportunity for emerging strength and conditioning professionals in a unique and empowering context. Interns will build their knowledge and skills in the field while volunteering with purpose and connecting with South Africans in an impactful way.
What is it?
This internship begins with a four-week session online where interns meet the Off-Grid Strength leaders and fellow interns through video call meetings. We will spend time introducing you to our off-grid lifestyle, South African language and culture, our philosophy of sport for development, and our priorities regarding exercise physiology, including functional movement, programming, and nutrition. Additionally, we will discuss our study plan for the NSCA CSCS exam and answer any questions you may have prior to your arrival in South Africa.
After completing the four-week session online there is a short one-week break before your arrival in South Africa where the in-person internship begins! Each morning will start with a practical team workout with the interns before a quick shower break and a breakfast meeting. The internship team will then participate in homestead chores related to food security and food preparation before lunch. The afternoon will begin with a study session before heading over to the community for our practical coaching sessions with local sport teams and fitness groups. The evenings end with a team meeting along with dinner or a braai before bed. Each week the interns will go on one outing to experience South Africa’s beautiful wildlife, landscapes and culture.
There are internship sessions in 2027.
Session #1: Applications closes 5 January. Online course starts March 30 – April 27 and your in-person adventure will begin May 4 – June 1 (in South Africa)
Session #2: Applications closes June 8 – July 6. Online course starts and your in-person adventure will begin July 13 – August 10 (in South Africa)
Volunteer with purpose
There are many opportunities to travel and volunteer throughout the world, but few that focus on why we serve and how to prioritize the long-term impact on volunteers or the communities that they travel so far to serve. This motivated us to build an international internship that is different. We believe international volunteering should change how we see ourselves and the world in ways that continue to create a positive impact long after the program ends.
Genuine impact is created when passionate people from different parts of the world come together for a purpose. Sport provides opportunities for people to come together to define this purpose, to connect with new people and face challenges together. This is why we created this internship. There are many social issues that slow progress in our world and we have centered our focus on what we believe is a root cause of many of these challenges. Globally, nutrition and food security are a growing concern and prevent many sport for development initiatives in South Africa from thriving. We need to fuel our bodies to survive, to build strength, and thrive, and this need has inspired our deeper purpose for Off-Grid Strength. Interns come here to experience what it is like to work together towards challenges bigger than themselves, and they learn how to transfer these skills to their own lives back home!
This internship has been designed to create an opportunity for you to volunteer your passion for strength and conditioning for a deeper purpose. Through this internship you will expand your knowledge and professional skills in the field while working with a community in need of genuine connection, upliftment, empowerment and purpose. Different from other programs, we realize the biggest gift we have to offer is not our money or resources; it is our time. When you leave South Africa, we will not remember the stuff you gave, but we will remember the time we spent together, the conversations we had, the challenges we faced, the lessons we learned and the memories we made together. These memories will have a far greater impact on our rural community than any monetary gift you could give. We believe that these experiences will transform our world in a genuine way.
The time you spend participating in this international internship will impact your life when you return home as you learn how to work with diverse groups of people facing a variety of societal challenges, while also developing professional and personal skills to better lead the teams you work with when you return home.
Experience South Africa
During this internship, you will spend time experiencing South African culture, food, language, society and landscapes in ways that you will never forget! Each week you will spend time working with people in our rural community and each week you will go on an excursion as a team that will give you an opportunity to see our beautiful country up close. As an intern you will travel a long distance to give your valuable time and energy to our rural South African community. You will get to know South African culture as you spend quality time with our local sport teams and community members who are interested in improving their health and fitness. Together we will participate in community bonding games and activities to build comfort, then we will move into coaching and language teaching. You will have the opportunity to build your confidence as a strength and conditioning coach by working with various teams and community members, and the community will have the opportunity to build confidence themselves as they teach you about South African language and culture.
While it is important to us that you build confidence in your coaching and professional lives, it is equally important that our community members are empowered in similar ways. They will build confidence teaching you about their language, food and culture. You will learn the local language, IsiXhosa, directly from them, and you will spend time bonding with them as you practice it together. Our local community members will share pieces of their lives and culture with you, and you will leave South Africa with a genuine and personal experience. Through this internship we also create opportunities to understand each other on a deeper level by spending time preparing and sharing meals together. Food brings people together and we take that to a new level! Here you will have the opportunity to try local foods while expanding your understanding of nutrition and food security.
During your time here, you will experience the country on a personal level. You will connect with our community members through our food security, sport and strength and conditioning initiatives and you will have the opportunity to explore! Each week the internship group will travel off-site to participate in a variety of exciting activities. As an intern, you will experience the amazing landscapes, wildlife, culture, and adventure that South Africa has to offer while creating unforgettable memories and bonding with your fellow interns. From getting up close with African wildlife and exploring breathtaking landscapes to challenging yourself with outdoor adventures and experiencing the local culture, these excursions are an exciting and valuable part of your internship experience.
Your group will choose four unforgettable excursions from the experiences below:
- Big Five Safari & Wildlife Experiences
- Mountain Hiking & Overnight Wilderness Adventures
- Kayaking & Outdoor Water Adventures
- Horseback Riding & Bush Trails
- Overnight Camping & Traditional Outdoor Cooking
- Historical & Cultural Experiences
- Community Activities & Local Projects
Your exact excursions may vary depending on weather, season and availability, ensuring every group has a safe, memorable and authentic South African adventure.
Cost of Participation
The cost of participation in this program is kept to a minimum as you will live simply, off-grid and on site with Off-Grid Strength leaders in rural South Africa. The internship program fees cover your all-inclusive accommodation which includes electric, gas, water, food and internet access. Your tent has a bed with sheets, blankets and pillows, and a clothing cupboard. This cost also includes your own biodegradable soaps and toothpaste necessary to keep our soil healthy. We also provide shower towels and laundry services. All meals are prepared on site with the purpose of building knowledge and awareness of health, nutrition and food security. Ingredients to prepare food are locally grown on our own land, on the land of neighbors or bought locally from small businesses in the closest town, Grahamstown / Makhanda. Allergies and food concerns can be accommodated when communicated in advance to ensure a quality experience for all interns.
There are no hidden fees. All costs associated with both the online and in person internship are fully covered in this cost. All you need to do is purchase your flight, travel insurance and have some pocket money for anything extra you might want along the way (extra snacks and souvenirs), but this is not necessary! We will advise you with booking your flight and insurance to ensure you are confident in your purchase, and everything else is on us!
Also included in the program fees are the personalized strength training sessions, coaching, teaching, community activities and outings which are all organized and led by Off-Grid Strength leaders. The teaching begins online with the four-week introductory course online. You will meet with Off-Grid Strength staff and get to know your fellow interns as you prepare for your time in South Africa. During this time, you will read short articles and watch short videos that will introduce you to the goals of this program. You will build comfort and confidence that will translate to an empowering and purposeful experience in South Africa.
When you arrive in South Africa, you will be coached through practical workouts with Coach Carenna each morning. These workouts can be tailored to meet your personal needs while preparing you for the coaching sessions in our rural community. Carenna’s skills and passions will lead you through each day. After the morning workout, you will enjoy breakfast as a team as she leads you through a team meeting, and then you move into group study sessions focused on building your skills as a coach and leader. Finally, you will be guided to apply your skills practically in the community as you work with our local teams and fitness groups.
The daily study sessions, led by Carenna M.S., CSCS, will build your awareness of nutrition, food security, exercise physiology and sport for development in ways that prepare you for the practical coaching sessions in our community. Additionally, we want you to leave South Africa with knowledge and abilities that will directly impact your professional life as a strength and conditioning coach. We will spend time studying for National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA CSCS) exam, and in the afternoons, Carenna will guide you to apply this knowledge through practical coaching experience in our rural South African community. She will prepare you to work with our local sport teams and fitness groups, giving you an opportunity to serve our community while also building your professional skills in the field.
The total cost of this eight-week program is $8,000.
Your investment includes:
- 4 week online introductory course
- Personal support prior to your arrival
- 4-week immersive experience in South Africa
- All-inclusive accommodation off-grid (water, gas, electricity, and internet)
- Bed sheets, blankets, pillows and shower towels are provided
- Laundry services are provided bi-weekly
- Nutritious home cooked meals with local ingredients (3 meals a day)
- Airport pickup and drop off for set arrival and departure dates
- Coaching and sport for development mentorship
- NSCA CSCS exam preparation
- Personalized strength training sessions
- Homesteading and food preparation experience
- Purposeful community engagement activities
- Practical coaching hours in the community
- Language teaching and cultural exposure
- Excursions including hiking, safari and outdoor adventures
All costs associated with travel and excursions during your stay are covered in the program fees. This includes all expenses associated with the excursions planned by Off-Grid Strength. Not included in the fees are your flights, travel insurance and any extras you wish to purchase during your stay. Additional accommodation days or different dates for airport transport can be arranged at additional costs.
Application process:
Two to four interns will be accepted for each session offered in 2027; the first session begins online March 30 – April 27 and in person South Africa May 4 – June 1. The second session begins online June 8 – July 6 followed by the in-person session South Africa July 13 – August 10.
Who should apply?
This internship is designed for recent graduates or current university students studying Exercise Science or a related field. Applicants should have an interest in Strength and Conditioning and a passion for making a genuine impact in society through coaching. Potential interns should be comfortable living in a tent off-grid (glamping), spending many hours outside and working with different cultures.
How to apply:
The application process begins with an online application to allow us to get to know you. We are interested in your background, abilities, passions and motivations for participating in this international internship. Answer the questions in as much detail as you feel comfortable. Provide relevant information to show your genuine interest in making an impact through coaching and define what that impact looks like to you. Tell us why you would make a great fit for this internship as well as your professional goals relating to sport for development, coaching, health, fitness and strength and conditioning. Please share any additional information you feel relevant to your potential participation in this unique internship opportunity.
We look forward to sharing this experience with you!
Please contact us with any questions you have!
ONLINE COACHING
Strength training with purpose
Our online coaching is personalized and designed with passion to empower you to build strength and fulfill your purpose.
PERSONALIZED
Strength training with Off-Grid Strength is a highly personalized experience where the coach designs programs with clients to ensure the likelihood of success. Coach Carenna, M.S., CSCS, combines her knowledge in Strength and Conditioning with a strong interest in your motivations for building strength. We believe that people who are engaged in the design of a program are more likely to find success. They are more likely to follow through on the daily steps to make it happen and will be more likely to meet their goals.
PASSION
We have a passion for building strength that has a real impact in the world. This passion led us to rebuild our lives in ways that empower people to build strength to fulfil their passions. We coach to give people the skills and ability to physically do the things they are passionate about. This is important to us because without this passion, how do we find our purpose?
PURPOSE
The best programming doesn’t matter if it doesn’t connect. Our coaching focuses on why you want to build strength. We discuss what you hope to accomplish with a healthier body and mind, and then we work together to make this a reality. Your strength training program focuses on your motivations for being strong, so together we can ensure you fulfill your purpose. We continuously discuss these things as your training progresses so that we can evolve the program to realistically meet your goals.
GALLERY
See what we do and why we do it
A visual story of our motivation, our coaching and the people and places that make Off-Grid Strength what it is.
Where we began
Where it began: the people, places and passion that shaped us and the decisions we made
We met in 2017 while Carenna was completing her M.S. in Sport Science and Charné was managing sport facilities in the city. We lived in Cape Town until 2021 while working with a variety of strength training and sport initiatives in Khayelitsha and Kayamandi. We started our own nonprofit and as attendance grew, so did our awareness that our efforts wouldn’t have the long term sustainability we dreamed of without access to quality food. The global shut down highlighted this reality and we realized it was time to move on to fulfil our purpose.
The journey
The journey to find our strength: the path we chose and how we put the best pieces of our old life together
The first few steps on this untouched rural land were exciting and overwhelming. We finally had the freedom to build the life we dreamed of, but also carried the full responsibility to bring these dreams to life. We spent two years living in a tent before we built our kitchen structure. Over this time we collected cow manure and dry leaves to create the compost that would transform our hard, clay soil into abundant food gardens. Charné started a food garden at the school nearby and Carenna began coaching online. Today the school garden is growing food for the children and community, Carenna’s online clients have inspired her to restart her own strength training journey, and together we have built the first of many beautiful garden beds on our land.
Building off-grid
Building strength in this life off-grid: realizing the purpose of this life is to build strength that is much bigger than us
In this rural life we found a place to start fresh, to explore our deepest thoughts, to grow real food, and to connect with people in ways that inspire them to find strength within themselves. This place gave us a foundation to create purpose in our own life, and it gives us opportunities to share that purpose with others. We are all stronger than we realize and more capable of creating change than we let ourselves believe. Here we are putting our purpose into action by slowly leading the way. Now Charné is using her many years of management experience to support our biggest dreams, and Carenna is using her passion as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA CSCS) to lead the way.
STRENGTH IN ACTION
The training, coaching and physical expression of the Off-Grid Strength idea.
Moving Off-Grid
Building Strength
CONTACT
READY TO BUILD STRENGTH?
Whether you are interested in online coaching, an international internship or following our story, we would love to hear from you!
OFF-GRID STRENGTH INTERNATIONAL
Riebeek East, Eastern Cape, South Africa