Global Programs.

Community Leaders in Africa Internship

The Community Leaders in Africa Internship Program is a one-of-a-kind field-based internship at one of MCW’s affiliate organizations in Africa.

What is it

The Community Leaders in Africa Internship Program is a one-of-a-kind field-based internship open to all alumni from MCW Global’s Young Leaders Fellowship and Young Leaders Conference programs. During this 3 to 6-month internship, selected interns gain practical skills, knowledge and networks in community development through a culturally immersive experience at one of MCW Global’s affiliate organizations in Africa: MC-Rwanda, MC-Tanzania or MC-Zambia.

The core aim of the Internship Program is to develop the next wave of community development leaders through hands-on training and collaboration with local communities.

What We Offer

What makes this internship unique is that it merges the two worlds of MCW Global’s intervention areas that seldom collide: Africa Programs and Young Leaders Programs. It is at the convergence of these two programs that interns have the special opportunity to grow both professionally and personally in an exceptional setup. 

Professional Development

Interns will work on community development projects in the advancement of education, health and economic security within different African communities. These projects are aimed at building and sharpening project management competencies within all interns, from monitoring & evaluation to communications and resource mobilization.

Personal Development

In addition to this professional development, the Internship is designed to also invest in the personal development of all interns through a properly structured personal development component. Under this, each Intern will draft and implement a Personal Development Plan (PDP) while receiving direct support and guidance from a carefully selected mentor.

A Holistic Approach to Leadership Development​

The internships reflect MCW Global’s commitment to equipping young leaders with the necessary tools to tackle contemporary challenges in an ever-evolving world. This program is for all high-potential young leaders with an established record of community development and a desire to contribute to the transformation of communities through global exchange.

Check open calls

Sneak Peak Into Internship Experiences

Gamuchirai Mazingi from Zimbabwe completed the very first Community Leaders in Africa internship in 2020. Based in Dar es-Salaam, Gamu started her five-month-long internship in March 2020 with MC-Tanzania. She focused her professional exposure on developing a communication strategy to strategically cultivate potential donors for the organization. In her Personal Development Plan, she worked on her goals of learning basic Swahili, improving her public speaking skills, and strengthening her writing skills.
Gamuchirai Mazingi, Zimbabwe
Young Leaders Fellowship ‘16 alumna
Eleni Nanaj from Albania was the Monitoring and Evaluation intern through the 2021 Internship for MC-Tanzania. Her work was centered on streamlining the monitoring and evaluation process around MC-Tanzania’s development efforts, particularly related to its oral health care model. She supported organization with tracking projects and outputs for the three oral health care projects, collecting data from various partners and sources, in addition to drafting social media posts. Through her Personal Development Plan, Eleni worked on developing a communication strategy and sharpening her language and graphic design skills.
Eleni Nanaj, Albania
Young Leaders Conference ‘18 alumna and Young Leaders Fellowship ‘19 alumna
Sharon Matongo from Zimbabwe was the Communications and Resource Development intern for MC-Rwanda during the 2021 Internship. In addition to developing a communications strategy for MC-Rwanda, Sharon also provided support to help rebrand the organization’s corporate image and visual identity to improve fundraising efforts. Her Personal Development Plan focused on honing her skills in time management, project management and learning French.
Sharon Matongo, Zimbabwe
Young Leaders Fellowship ‘18 alumna