Internships in Nkhata Bay, Malawi

The experience was extremely valuable to understand the healthcare system in Zambia. However, there was much less public health work than expected--only working with patients in the mornings with not enough focus on most severe cases and no public health education. Recommend if interested in healthcare and community building vs public health.

My experience in Malawi was incredible. From the ease of getting to my accommodation on the first day because it was all sorted for me to making new friends at my accommodation and feeling like an asset at the school, every single moment was amazing. I felt useful and respected daily, and it was beautiful to see the impact I was making! In my role, I provided classroom support, interventions with struggling students, painted walls, created resources, ran the social media accounts, and assisted with running school errands. I learned that in order to effectively teach English as a foreign language, you have to be willing to think outside the box and make learning so fun that students don’t even realize they're learning. This is made so much easier when you have a good relationship with them! I enjoyed how connected I felt to the objectives of the organization as a whole and how I could clearly see the impact I was making. However, I did find that some days were very busy, while other days were quieter. This experience will help me start my TEFL qualification and support my journey of teaching English in other countries. My advice: Be open to trying new things! There are so many great opportunities at Butterfly, and you don’t just have to stay working with Stepping Stones. Also, don’t travel with loads of different clothes – four outfits is plenty! Everyone wears the same things over and over again.

I had such a wonderful time in Nkhata Bay, Malawi. The town, the internship, the people I met were all highlights of my trip. The work environment - feeling the energy of the kids and being with my work colleagues. I would love to go back someday! I mostly worked in Social Media campaigns, (capturing and posting of content), administrative tasks, filming and editing of an image video, certain aspects of social work.

This was the best experience of my life so far. I did some really meaningful work which has continued after my internship, and was privileged to get to know the local people and really immerse myself in the community. Initially I did not feel I had enough tasks, until I went out and found a totally new project which I started working on.

Volunteering at Butterfly Space allowed me to not only work on their current projects, but also venture off on my own to make new connections within the community. I was able to meet so many different community leaders, teachers, mentors, and coaches within Nkhata Bay, and surrounding villages. I feel like I was able to not only bring new knowledge and ideas to the people of Nkhata Bay, but also learn so much from them and develop in my own way. It was truly a beautiful experience that I will always be grateful for, and has encouraged a future of volunteering and traveling.

During my master's program, I opted for an internship abroad and spent three months in the stunning "Mother City" of Cape Town. I have no regrets whatsoever. Living alone in a foreign country for the first time taught me more than any university experience could. I am extremely grateful for this amazing opportunity and the incredible service provided by Roots Interns. They were highly responsive and provided on-site assistance whenever needed. I highly recommend Lenox guesthouse, where I stayed, as it was a wonderful experience. Making new friends from all over the world was an overall amazing experience. My internship at Sunshine Cinema, where I worked on communication and fundraising, was a great learning experience. I gained practical skills in content creation, social media usage, and brand awareness. The organization is amazing, and the staff is lovely, making you feel at home. If you want to have a life-changing experience, I highly recommend pursuing an internship in Cape Town. You'll meet interesting people, enjoy the stunning natural beauty, and overall have the time of your life!

I did a four-month internship at Butterfly in Nkhata Bay, North Malawi. During my stay I slept in a dorm (I chose this option because it's the cheaper option, but you can also book a private room), so I got to know an incredible number of exciting and really lovely people from all corners of the world :) Butterfly is a unique and exceptional place where volunteers, tourists and locals meet, creating a magical atmosphere and experiences. The non-profit eco-lodge offers a variety of areas to get actively involved. During my time I made so many wonderful memories by going on boat trips, climbing mountains, visiting nearby cities, and participating in local events on weekends. Furthermore, I made friendships for life with locals, volunteers and tourists. I can only recommend it to everyone who wants to do an internship or volunteer at Butterly in Malawi! You will truly meet "The Warm Heart of Africa" <3

I really enjoyed my internship in Malawi, at Butterfly Space. It was a great opportunity to put in practice everything that I learned at school. I feel like I contributed positively to the lodge and vice-versa. My tasks were various and suited me perfectly. They have many projects and I could chose on which one I wanted to focus. My goals were to learn more about developing countries and how they function, as well as to have a clearer idea about my future career path, which I'm happy to say that I achieved.

This internship was insightful, gritty, and meaningful for my research and on a personal level. I would hesitate to label my review as only a review of my "internship" but rather a review of my entire experience of working at a research clinic in Cape Town during a pandemic. The internship is set in an extremely rich context for public health, social science, and anthropology majors to engage with an impoverished community via clinical research and do administrative tasks that aid the clinic and inform your understanding of research on a local level. You have plenty of opportunity to observe participants and ask questions to the busy, but fun staff. I was challenged to put myself out there everyday and stay productive in loud, hectic environments both in the clinic and in the community. Some downsides to the internship is that there isn't direct mentorship, a consistent work schedule, or much initiation on the staff side to engage your interests and provide you with daily support and structure. I would recommend undergraduate students to evaluate whether they feel ready to initiate and put themselves out there daily throughout the internship period while dealing with the emotional and mental transitions of moving to a foreign country. Aside from the downsides which I am grateful to have overcome, I was able to fulfill my research fellowship and internship on a high note with much engagement and satisfaction from the staff and community and a greater understanding of my career and field of interest. I would recommend this internship for any researcher/academic willing to challenge themselves, be flexible and reflective, take on new perspectives, and who are invested in learning and assisting in participants' and community health.

I'm very glad I stumbled upon Roots Interns 6 months ago. It has truly been a unique opportunity! At first I was a little nervous as I've never done a remote internship or worked with people from so far away in Africa, but stepping out of my comfort zone was exactly what I needed. After completing my internship I feel more confident in any potential global experience that will come my way. Everyone I've worked with from Roots and MSPC has been wonderful and I'm grateful for having this eye-opening experience.