The Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) has the world’s highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates, with approximately 31% of the population being infected. In 2010 it was estimated that there were close to 200,000 orphaned children in the Kingdom due to HIV/AIDS. Many more children are now without a parent and live with an extended family that already has stretched resources. Unemployment is high, approximately 39% of Swazi are without a job, which rises considerably to 53% among youth. About 66% of the population is unable to meet basic food needs, while 43% live in chronic poverty. Children are particularly vulnerable and often are in desperate need of help and support. 

A beautiful country rich in history and cultural heritage, Eswatini unfortunately still struggles with development needs and human rights issues. Our internship projects - organized and led by local experts with the input and support from the local community - are a holistic effort at supporting Emaswati youth to escape cycles of poverty. 

Accommodation & Meals: During your stay, you will be accommodated in an award-winning Lidwala Lodge in Ezulwini Valley. Three meals a day will also be provided, some on a self-serve basis and others cooked for you. Enquire for private rooms.  

Project Start Dates: The start date for this project is the first Monday of the month throughout the year, with the exception of December when new participants are not accepted. 

Please ensure your flight arrives BEFORE 1:00pm.

Important Links:

- Refund & Cancellation Policy

- SDG Commitments

An intern, although also not being paid, is different from a Gap-year volunteer as they are expected to bring some knowledge and/or experience in the area they are working in. There are fewer internship posts available so competition for these is higher. Interns will be working at a more career focused strategic level and developing local capacity to work effectively and with meaning, as well as gaining valuable hands-on, practical experience during their placement. Interns are also expected to take on more responsibility and to create their own goals and seek activities to be involved in or lead. They will also have a mentor assigned to them to guide them during the internship.

Upon arrival, our team will assist our interns with getting started, meeting their partners if they are off campus, and advising them on next steps. Our interns then have the flexibility to create their own schedule with their partners and together create a plan of action of goals to achieve whilst working together. For this reason, it is important that the word “partner” remains key throughout the experience. Our interns have a world of expertise to offer, however all goals should be created together with the in-country partner so the outcomes are sustainable even after the intern returns home. We do not expect our interns to take on a job position, but rather take on the role of advisor; offering advice, suggestions, and assistance in creating strategies that will make long-term impact.

Child Health & Nutrition:  You will have the opportunity to assist our team with current research studies, monitor the growth (BMI) of the children we care for, observe their learning behaviour, and make recommendations for their nutritional advancement. 

Some of the activities you will get involved in include: 

• Teaching English and Maths and correcting worksheets
• Leading role play and imagination activities 
• Designing activities that support the syllabus
• Reading stories & facilitating learning through storytelling
• Giving support and attention to children
• Organising games & sports activities to help them learn through play 
• Assisting with preparing and serving meals
• Teaching basic life skills including teeth cleaning and hygiene

Sports Development:  As an intern, you will be working with existing Neighbourhood Care Points (NCP’s) in the local community. The role involves going to the NCP’s in the morning to have the children participate in a variety of play activities – including song and dance, ball games, obstacle courses, tricycle riding and swimming lessons. 

You are encouraged to get as involved as possible in organising these fun-filled events that bring so much joy to children. 

Some of the activities you will get involved in include: 

• Setting up obstacle courses and activities for the children to engage with.
• Teaching hand-eye coordination through throwing and catching
• Teaching basic life skills including teeth cleaning and hygiene through sports
• Participating in song and dance activities
• Assist with swimming and other sports lessons

Teaching Development:  

As a intern on the Teaching Project you will be working with children from the surrounding Ezulwini communities. The total number of the children at the school varies from 700 to 800 pupils and each classroom has a maximum of 40 pupils. You will be expected to work as a teaching assistant helping the teacher wherever possible, especially with maths, English and science subjects. You can bring your own ideas such as crafts if you working with the lower grades and drama for the upper grades. Some of the activities you will get involved in include: 

• Assisting a teacher in class
• Leading small groups in classroom-based activities
• Preparing and marking tests and homework
• Introducing/developing sports and drama activities
• Introduce new sports/develop existing sports (e.g. netball)
• Assisting at the library through cataloguing books, literacy lessons, and one-on-one tutoring.
• Generally getting involved with the staff at the school, know what’s happening at the school and get involved wherever possible.

Marketing & Graphic Design: The role may involve going out into the field to do market research, organizing focus groups, creating networking events or creating new marketing materials in a variety of formats. It may also involve joining our team in the office to assist our staff in strategic planning. Some of the activities you may get involved in may include: 

• Creating marketing materials according to your skill set.
• Market research online or in the field.
• Strategy planning with staff or partners.
• Social media and/or blog updating.

Photography & Videography: The role will involve reporting to the Marketing Coordinator to assist with photo and video stock for marketing and/or fundraising needs. Your videos and photos will be used on our website, social media pages, and on our other marketing material. Some of the activities you may get involved in may include: 

Photographing projects & interns in action

Creating video "trailers" of our projects for our website

Creating video or photo blogs of your experience

Interviewing staff or intern about their work

Business Development & Microfinance: The focus of the Microfinance Pilot Study & Development project will be to work in collaboration with seven Neighbourhood Care Points (NCPs), which operate in rural areas and cater to vulnerable and orphaned children. These NCPs were set up by the All Out Africa Foundation in an effort to keep children longer and perform better in school. These NCPs are community-based facilities and include assistance from local volunteers in terms of cooking, teaching, and other support, often with little to no personal incentive. The Microfinance Pilot Study might offer these individuals a way to earn an income.  

The internship will assist the NCP and Sponsorship Coordinator in designing a marketing workshop educational to interested parties, and develop a system of evaluation to award new microfinance loans to new community groups. Interns will also provide additional support and continued learning after the loan has been awarded to increase the likelihood of the business endeavour’s success. Some of the activities you will get involved in include: 

• Assisting with the development of guidelines for the projects. 
• Facilitate educational training about basic marketing techniques such as bookkeeping, profit analysis, product development, branding, etc.
• Support the NCP Coordinator in conducting data collection and analysis
• Prepare periodic evaluation reports for the All Out Africa office in Eswatini & project partners.

NGO & Non-Profit Planning:  No program is more emblematic of All Out Africa’s contribution to the SDGs than the eight Neighbourhood Care Points (NCPs) in Eswatini founded and operated by the All Out Africa Foundation (AOAF). The NCPs serve as community centres for vulnerable Swati children around eZulwini valley whose parents were made victims by the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic. Here, more than 300 children receive a pre-school education and two nutritious meals per day. Since 2004, 3479 children have attended our preschool program, making a tangible difference in their lives and supporting Eswatini in meeting SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, and SDG 4: Universal Quality Education. After completing pre-school, the NCPs serve as centres for after school tutoring in maths and languages for primary students between Mondays and Wednesdays. Since 2011, over 853 students have taken part in our after school programmes. With the help of volunteer donations and the Eswatini CharitableTrust, from the pool of primary students who participate at NCPs we have supported 124 students to attend high school and a select few to attend tertiary education.

The ultimate goals for the program is to improve attendance and graduation rates at preschool, primary, and high schools. We need your help in making our foundation more efficient, effective, and responsive to the needs of our community, and in return you can get real-world experience in the daily running of non-profit foundations! Whether you are looking to gain experience to add to your CV, you need to fulfil university requirements, or just have experience to contribute, we like to make our internships as beneficial for each intern as possible. That’s why we want to know in advance if you have a special interests, expertise or goals to achieve whilst your completing your internship with us.

Hospitality & Accommodation:  You will have the opportunity to assist our tours team and gain experience in a busy, international tours office, working with clients from all over the globe. 

Some of the activities you will get involved in include: 

• Bookings & checking-in clients
• Bookkeeping & finance
• Learning about cultural highlights of the area
• Assisting the guides with group tours

*Please note that the activities listed above are based on availability and may vary by season. These are samples of activities that volunteers are likely to participate in.

By signing up with us you are donating your time and skills to work directly with communities in need through a structured project. There are many benefits to working with an organisation like ours. It is hard to find internships to support in a foreign country that are safe, worthwhile and reputable. When you sign-up for one of our projects for 2 or 12-weeks, you become part of a bigger, sustainable plan that our team of qualified staff has carefully crafted. You will also receive travel and visa support, orientation, a safe place to stay, logistical support, in addition to clear expectations of the work you will do. This is why we charge a fee for volunteering or interning abroad. 

Your project fee goes towards a company you can trust, an experience that is worthwhile and an opportunity that will make a positive and sustainable impact on the community you have chosen to serve.