Internships in Tanzania
Internship Programs in Tanzania
Pagination
About
So you want to intern in Tanzania -- that's a bold move, young professional. Not many choose to spend time developing their professional skill sets in such a unique and off the beaten path destination, and making this leap will make you (and your resume) stand out all the more for it.
Tanzania is an especially great destination for interns who want to learn more about community development, education, and medical / healthcare fields within the context of international development. Environmental conservation, arts, and childcare are also fields that interns in Tanzania will be able to focus their searches on.
Most interns will work in English, though basic understanding of Swahili will help with your day to day.
No matter which of these fields you're looking to get into, an internship in Tanzania will be both a unique professional experience, and a chance to explore one of the most naturally beautiful, friendly, and culturally rich nations in the world.
Photo credits: parramitta.
Top Industries
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. With most residents living beneath the poverty line, most making less than a dollar a day, there are many internship opportunities in human rights, community development, building new towns, teaching, and all different medical fields.
Each program is unique in its requirements while on the job. Working with families in communities living beneath the poverty level can be very rewarding as well as difficult.
Interns are given the opportunity to work with children of all ages who are suffering from disease or malnutrition, teach in a classroom, build new communities, or work along side some of the leading medical doctors in clinics or hospitals around the country.
Internships are not limited to communities of people, but also communities of the very living things that make Tanzania what it is: the Serengeti National Park. Interns within the park will be given numerous tasks each day and will be responsible with the care of the protected animals at the park.
Most programs are not affiliated with any government agencies and can last anywhere from two weeks to over nine months.
Tanzania is in need of support so once you have decided what internship route to take applications for almost all internships can be filed out year round and submitted.
Planning Your Trip
Cost of Living
Because most programs will provide accommodation, either with a host family or in a group housing facility, cost of living and overall expenses while in Tanzania are fairly low.
This being said, living in Tanzania, whether it be the capital port city of Dar es Salaam or another popular destination Arusha, a trip to the grocery store would be difficult to reach 20 dollars. On top of the fact that most of the internships provide food for their employees, it is easy to save up enough money to intern in Tanzania.
Local transportation is 25 cents typically and a loaf of bread is roughly 75 cents in Arusha. Because Tanzania has to import quite a few goods you will pay a little more for things like milk and wine.
Although some of the internships do not pay, making the move to intern in Tanzania is an achievable dream.
Work Culture
Interning in Tanzania is an incredibly rewarding accomplishment. Being able to mold the lives of young students, help cure their illness, and just be good company for them in a time of need is a great way to spend an internship. However, the jobs can be intense at times.
Because interns will be working in locations that suffer from extreme poverty and various disease that might not be curable can be strenuous at times.
Tanzania is still considered a third-world country and so life is very different than other countries. It is often said that there isn’t much structure to communities but the differences are exciting and filled with new lessons each day.
Tanzania is a place that people dream about visiting. The picturesque rolling hills or the Serengeti, following the migration, snapping photos of elephants, zebras, and lions are scenes only seen in Disney’s Earth. But making the leap to intern in Tanzania is entirely possible. Meeting different tribes, families, and communities, and helping build foundations can be a reality.
Visas
Immigration is never the most fun part of any kind of travel but it is the most important. In order to be an intern in Tanzania you will need to have a work permit and a visa to enter the country.
Both the visa and the work permit, called a Conducting a Temporary Assignment (CTA) permit, can be purchased upon arrival in Arusha, Tanzania.
The best way to enter Tanzania is on a tourist visa, this is a $50 USD visa purchased at the airport when you arrive and stamped into your passport. This visa allows you to stay up to three months.
Depending on your length of stay, a Residence Permit Class can be obtained. Ranging from 200-600 dollars each permit can be purchased at the airport. Remember to have American cash—this goes for non-US citizens as well-- and know exactly which permit you need to receive.
It is also important to carry all necessary documents such as passports, vaccination forms, internships contracts and other various documents needed for the immigration process.
Once you have undergone the entire immigration process you are free to stay and intern for the duration of your visa.