Africa Region (internship Programme Management)

Are you currently enrolled in a Danish University program and interested in gaining first-hand experience of what it is like to work for the world’s largest humanitarian organisation? Do you want to learn about the Danish Red Cross’ work in Africa Region and learn from experienced international humanitarian professionals? Then you might be our new intern, as our offices in Malawi and Ethiopia are looking for an intern each.

Danish Red Cross (DRC) Country Office in Malawi

The Danish Red Cross is leading a consortium that supports Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) in the implementation of the ‘Community Resilience Programme’ which is implemented in the Southern Malawi. The programme has an integrated programming approach encompassing Health, WASH, Disaster Management, Empowerment of the most vulnerable & Youth and National Society Development. We also support MRCS with Disaster Risk Reduction/Anticipatory Action and Response projects. A general focus is on strengthening the capacity of MRCS. The Country Office works with humanitarian donors like ECHO, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Red Cross/Crescent Movement partners, and DRC own funds.

Danish Red Cross (DRC) Country Office in Ethiopia The DRC project portfolio in Ethiopia is implemented through the Ethiopia Red Cross Society (ERCS). Ethiopia has been experiencing increasing internal conflict and violence the past years and is frequently hit by different natural disasters. Conflict and climate shocks have fuelled new displacement and migration waves, while many protracted internally displaced persons remain dependent on humanitarian assistance; Ethiopia is also hosting over one million refugees. In addition, the prospect of hundreds of thousands of returnees expected to return from Gulf countries among others, add complexity to the migration flows both within, as well as in and out of Ethiopia. The Country Office works with humanitarian donors like ECHO, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Red Cross/Crescent Movement partners, and DRC own funds.

Purpose

The purpose of the internship is to learn about humanitarian work and programme management which includes professional relationships to partners, project budget, donor relations, brand awareness, humanitarian vocabulary and more. This is learned by shadowing and providing support to the Danish Red Cross (DRC) in a field office under the line management of the DRC Country Manager and the guidance of the supervisor.

Learning objectives

• Understanding the humanitarian context and what Programme Management entails. This is learned by shadowing the day-to-day work of the full team. Learn about their work, their projects and specialities. Assist team members with various tasks like supporting proposal or report writing, infographics, data collection, practical arrangements of field visits, workshops, and more.
• Learn how communication and collaborations across humanitarian partners’ work and the trade-specific vocabulary. This is learned by joining important meetings both internal and external, supporting with minutes and with follow-ups when needed.
• Understanding the impact of humanitarian work. This is learned by supporting the supervisor’s work in technical areas which includes data collection, data processing or/and individual stories from affected populations.
• Understanding the role of branding in public funding to humanitarian organizations. Take part in the impact of how important brand awareness for future donations and how humanitarian fundraising is an integral part of the humanitarian profession. This is learned by creating posts for social media channels to support Danish Red Cross public image. It is also learned by taking the lead in arranging practical aspects of the foreign visitors
• Learn about donor-relations and humanitarian funding from donors such as ECHO or DANIDA. Assist team members with donor-relations, this can be by reviewing the Logical Framework, take part in the reporting, the communication, and/or assist in management of project budget

We think you will fit this internship if

You are highly adaptable to new environments and comfortable with any standard of living, such as sharing home environment with others, fluctuations in water, electricity, internet access, temperatures or climate, as well as restricted access to comforts such as freedom of movement, reliable transportation or habitual foods. If you are resilient with an ability to cope with a variety of stressors such as changes in temperatures or climate in a self-reliant manner. You fit this internship if you are driven and service minded with capacity to take initiatives and work independently. You are structured, well organized, resourceful with a genuine interest in development and humanitarian work, and wanting to become a part of the Red Cross Red Crescent movement. We also think you will be a good fit if you are receptive, that you are interested in learning from others and working closely together with your team members with curiosity.

We offer

You will get the chance to gain first-hand experience of what it is like to work for the world’s largest humanitarian organisation. You will learn about Red Cross’ work in Malawi or Ethiopia and receive ongoing supervision and support by the experienced international professionals in your team. You will get to work alongside experts in their field and gain valuable and relevant work experience within a dynamic workplace. At the same time, an internship with the Danish Red Cross will provide you with an opportunity to apply what you have learned during your internship in your academic programme in a challenging, yet inspiring way.

The internships begin in January 2026 and ends in June 2026 and runs for about 5 months. The weekly hours are 40. The internship is unpaid. One round trip air ticket, accommodation, health check (if applicable), vaccinations and insurance are provided by the Danish Red Cross. Before arriving at the internship, an onboarding by the Danish Red Cross will be undertaken in Copenhagen, Denmark, and online.

Experience and Qualifications

Required:

• Enrolled at a relevant Danish university program with internship included (credited ECTS). An academic degree in e.g. social science, disaster management, political science, African studies, development studies or similar
• Believe in and adhere to the Red Cross Red Crescent 7 fundamental principles
• Fluent in English speaking and writing
• Have a keen interest in development and humanitarian work
• Proficient user of MS Office and can quickly learn new digital platforms
• Excellent report writing and communication skills to be disseminated in both professional and non-academic language
• Cultural sensitivity and experience in multicultural settings
• Compliant to rules and regulations set out by the organizations, for example (but not limited to) Code of Conduct, Principles and guidelines and local security protocols

Preferred:

• Danish language skills strong preference
• Previous volunteering or/and working experience with the Red Cross/Crescent movement and/or other humanitarian organisation
• Valid international driver’s license

Application, conditions and further information

We look forward to receiving your application and CV no later than 12th of October 2025, 21:59 CEST. Application and CV in English are accepted only through our online recruitment system. Applicants currently not enrolled in a Danish University program with internship will not be accepted. Duty station is Addis Ababa, Ethiopia or Lilongwe, Malawi.

Skills Required:

• Political / Science / Ir
• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development