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Wellness Africa Foundation Internship Program

This program is on pause for Summer 2024. 

The Wellness Africa Internship Program is a fully-funded, eight week summer opportunity that gives two Harvard College students the opportunity to live and work in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. For Summer 2023, two positions are available: (1) Public Health Intern and (2) Grant Writing and Communications Intern.. See below for more information on the individual roles. This is an unpaid internship. Selected interns will receive a travel grant that is meant to cover basic travel and meal expenses. Housing and local transportation to and from work will be provided by CAS. Personal expenses, visa, and health-related expenses may need to be supplemented by the student’s own funds.

ABOUT WELLNESS AFRICA FOUNDATION
Wellness Africa Foundation (WAF) is a growing non-governmental organization committed to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and duly incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) of Nigeria in May 2019. The mission of WAF is to facilitate community health outreaches to the underserved, while also promoting Adolescents and Youth Reproductive Health (AYRH).

WAF is offering an eight-week capacity building opportunity for qualified undergraduates. Interns will acquire professional and hands-on experience on various areas of NGO operations. Interns have an opportunity to contribute while working alongside another Harvard intern, staff and local interns. We encourage new ideas and innovation as you carry out work goals. You will have an internship orientation and co-create a work plan with your supervisor, as well as get feedback from the leadership team.

POSITION 1: PUBLIC HEALTH INTERN
(60% Field; 40% Office)

Roles and Responsibilities
We seek a self-motivated and proactive individual who will participate in the following initiatives and contribute with new ideas:

  • WAF Adolescent and Youth-friendly Centre.
  • Community health outreach to underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
  • Conference on Maternal and Under-5 Mortality in Nigeria.


The ideal intern will:

  • Be passionate about non-profit work and engaging with communities
  • Show demonstrated interest in global and rural health
  • Have interpersonal relationship skills and team spirit
  • Have experience in health or community development, though not required


POSITION 2: GRANT WRITING AND COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

Grant Writing

  • Researching donor organizations seeking grant applications from non-profits.
  • Developing proposals and writing grant applications as requested by the organizations.
  • Maintaining communication with donors and potential donor organizations.
  • Updating database of potential grant awarding organizations.


Communications

  • Authoring contents and designing of periodic newsletters.
  • Developing and implementing communications strategies to increase brand visibility.
  • Promoting WAF’s vision and mission; writing and sharing impact stories and successes of the organization to the various publics through the organization’s online platforms.
  • Designing graphics and templates to advertise projects and posting of original contents on online platforms.
  • Updating ‘Our Story from Inception’ – an invaluable chronicle of Wellness Africa Foundation.

The ideal intern will:

  • Have a positive team spirit and ability to cultivate relationships with colleagues
  • Possess excellent writing skills and ability to engage various audiences.
  • Demonstrate social media skills and experience to use Microsoft Office tools.
  • Demonstrate a working knowledge of online communication channels; Graphic design is an added advantage.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Interns will work on a small team both in the field and at the Wellness Africa Foundation Office. A maximum of two Harvard interns will be selected. Interns will live and work together. One additional local Nigerian intern may also be living with the Harvard interns. Given the nature of this program, the internship may be best suited for students who have lived or traveled in Africa for an extended period of time.

ELIGIBILITY:

  • Applicant must be a continuing undergraduate student enrolled at Harvard College.
  • The program requires an eight-week commitment starting at the beginning of June and lasting until the beginning of August.
  • Ideal students for Wellness Africa Foundation  are self-starters, sensitive to cultural differences, interested in Africa and/or African Studies, team-players, enthusiastic and outgoing, persistent, flexible, and open to working in environments that may differ from their norm.
  • Preference will be given to students with an interest in public health.
  • Preference will be given to rising Juniors or Seniors with previous  travel experience in regions outside Europe, North America, and Oceana.
  • All applicants must have a valid passport with an expiration date of at least 6 months beyond August 2023. If an applicant does not have a valid passport, they must upload a confirmation that their passport application is in-progress. 
APPLICATION:

Applications are closed for Summer 2023.
  • Harvard CARAT Application
  • Current resume/CV
  • Current unofficial transcript
  • Personal Statement about your interest in the program (500 words)
  • Writing Sample
  • Example of graphic design skills (Grant Writing & Communications Intern Only)
  • Two letters of recommendation: one letter from a Harvard affiliate and one character reference from a supervisor, teacher, coach, or counselor who has known you for more than two years. Recommendations should be uploaded in CARAT by the recommender or emailed directly to lmoats@fas.harvard.edu by the application deadline.
  • Applicants who make it to the second round will be invited for an interview after the application deadline. Reach out to Lindsay Moats at lmoats@fas.harvard.edu with any clarity seeking questions.

**This internship may be supported with a CAS travel grant; however, the Wellness Africa  Foundation and its internship program is independent from the Center for African Studies. The Center for African Studies will provide pre-departure advising and an in-person pre-departure orientation. Once students are in-country, they will be traveling independently. All students are required to register with International SOS MyTrips. Harvard Global Support Services is also available as a resource to students.