Microfinance Internship

Empower female entrepreneurs and gain practical business experience in Tanzania.

Overview

As a Micro-finance intern in Tanzania, you will work with our local staff and help female entrepreneurs build their businesses. You will also get the opportunity to offer your own insights and advice. This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in business and finance. You’ll be able to talk about what you learned in Tanzania during interviews and add this practical work experience to your CV.

An internship of this kind also prepares you for the working world. It helps you practice the skills needed to be a successful business person. You don’t need any prior experience to join. All you need is to be punctual, professional, and hard-working. Our staff will teach you everything you need to know, and you can ask questions and for advice.

Our Micro-finance internship in Tanzania runs year-round and you can join at any time. You are required to spend at least two weeks on the project, but there is no time limit beyond this. The longer you spend on the project, the more you will be able to gain from it.

What will I do?

During your Micro-finance internship in Tanzania, you can expect to run weekly workshops, do house visits, manage loan accounts, and develop marketing strategies.

Run workshops

Along with your fellow interns, you will run weekly workshops for the entrepreneurs. During these workshops, you will be able to share your own insights and knowledge of business. You will also teach the women basic English, literacy, and numeracy.

Do house visits

During house visits, you will interview women to see if they qualify for the loans. If so, you will create profiles for them on our database.

Manage loan accounts

The central aspect of this project is the fact that we help local entrepreneurs build their small businesses through interest-free loans. You will get the opportunity to manage and monitor various loan accounts with the guidance of your local supervisor.

Develop marketing strategies

The work you do will be focused on helping entrepreneurs build small businesses. You will help them put together their business plans and develop marketing strategies. Recent small businesses include rearing chickens and making and selling jewellery.

Aim & Impact

The aim of this project is to give entrepreneurs, especially women in rural Tanzania, an opportunity to improve their entrepreneurship and financial skills.

We are working to improve the standard of living in Tanzania by supporting small entrepreneurs at disadvantaged places in rural areas. By supporting their work and supervising them, we can help give women skills they can use to succeed later in life.

  • Improve Entrepreneurship skills especially for vulnerable women
  • Improve financial skills

Volunteering for Professionals

This project is also perfect for qualified professionals. With your skills backing up our ongoing efforts, we can make an even bigger difference together. We’ll match you to the placement where your skills are needed most.

This means you can share your training and knowledge with others. You can work hand-in-hand with our partner organizations and local communities to support sustainable development.

Locations

You will be placed at a local primary school in either Dar es Salaam, or Arusha or Moshi, or at the Maasai school just outside of Arusha.

Arusha

Situated in northern Tanzania, Arusha is the capital of the Arusha Region and is surrounded by some of Africa’s most famous landscapes. It balances well the ‘city life’ with the ‘small town’ feel.

Moshi

Moshi is a municipality located on the slopes of Kilimanjaro Mountain, and is considered to be the cleanest town in Tanzania. It allows you to enjoy the natural beauty of the area without the hustle and bustle of big city life.

Accommodation & Food

You'll stay with a host family in Arusha or Moshi. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs. We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other volunteer. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe. Your programme fee includes three meals a day.

Safety

Your safety and security is our prime concern. Our staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on-hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement.

Visa Information

An ‘STP’ or ‘Volunteer’ visa is required to volunteer in Tanzania and costs around US $250. Some nationalities can apply in advance, but most volunteers will obtain the volunteer visa from the airport on arrival in Arusha. Note: All travelers require return or onward tickets, all documents required for their next destination and proof of funds. Currently visitors arriving from infected areas must hold a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

Key Facts

Start Dates

Every Sunday (Year-round)

Duration

2 - 12 Weeks

Ages

15 - 18 Years

Arrival Airport

Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)

Airport Pickup

Upon arrival into Kilimanjaro International Airport volunteers will be collected by a representative of the local project team and transported to their assigned accommodation.