Internship at the Ethiopian Global Initiative

Mission

U.S. College Students for Ethiopia (USCSE) provides college students from the United States the opportunity to intern or volunteer with Ethiopian-led organizations headquartered in Ethiopia. The project’s mission is to:

• Tackle the shortage of a skilled and educated workforce in Ethiopia by bridging the communication and access gap between U.S. college students and Ethiopian organizations;
• Raise consciousness of service to Ethiopia among Ethiopian-American college students; and
• Create a thriving environment for internships and volunteerism in Ethiopia.

By sending highly talented and passionate students from the U.S. to Ethiopia for a summer, a semester, or an academic year, USCSE aims to give students a unique and enriching experience that facilitates cultural, intellectual, and skills exchange while meeting the needs of host organizations and Ethiopia. USCSE aims to send both Ethiopian and non-Ethiopian students residing in the United States.

The Need

The Economist recently predicted that Ethiopia would be the third fastest growing economy in 2011. While this calls for much jubilation, it also presents an opportune moment to highlight the multitude of lingering developmental challenges Ethiopia faces. In particular, Ethiopia suffers from the emigration of its skilled individuals to other countries, a phenomenon known as the “brain drain.” The Ethiopian brain drain has swept thousands of skilled and seasoned professionals including doctors, economists, journalists, entrepreneurs and lawyers in the past 40 years. According to the United Nations Development Program, “Ethiopia lost 75% of its skilled workforce between 1980 and 1991.” Political instability, poverty, and the lack of infrastructure coupled with low compensation have pushed many professionals out of Ethiopia to seek work in Europe and North America.

While many Ethiopian professionals have left and continue to leave Ethiopia for the United States, American students are eager to find volunteer and internship opportunities in foreign countries. Ethiopia is an attractive country for American students who are seeking an exciting venture filled with meaningful and enriching experiences. Students from the United States volunteering and interning in Ethiopia will have a unique opportunity to examine theories and principals learned in the classroom while contributing to the development of an emergent country.

Although sending American college students to Ethiopia is very important, USCSE will emphasize the full participation of college students of Ethiopian heritage. To tackle the brain drain problem, engaging Ethiopian-American college students will be a critical aspect of the project. Ultimately, the intent is to promote a consciousness of service to Ethiopia among Ethiopian-American college students while creating a culture conducive for internships and volunteerism in Ethiopia.

Potential Impact

The potential impact of USCSE is significant and aligned with Ethiopia’s objectives to realize the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and become a middle-income nation by 2020. Here are the impacts for:

Our Participants

Participants, students admitted USCSE, will be able to expand their global experiences and network by traveling to Ethiopia and providing their services. In addition, students will gain crucial skills and knowledge that will fortify their career development.

Our Host Organizations

Host organizations agree to collaborate with USCSE by receiving participants as volunteers and interns. These organizations already are engaged in important and transformative work in Ethiopia. Yet, their work will be furthered through participants’ contributions during the course of the internship. In addition, host organizations will capitalize on participants’ continued engagement through fundraising and awareness-raising efforts in the U.S. utilizing the Initiative’s vast network.

Our Partner Organizations

Public and private sector organizations that assist with the planning, development and implementation of USCSE will receive recognition for their support. They provide logistical and technical support that ensures the success of the project. Ultimately, our partner organizations will help realize the full potential of USCSE's participants and host organizations.

Our Goals

The short-term goal of U.S. College Students for Ethiopia is to recruit and organize cohorts of American college students to intern or volunteer in Ethiopia during summers 2011 and 2012. In 2011, the Ethiopian Global Initiative plans to send a pilot cohort of 10-15 students to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Based on this cohort’s experience and evaluation of the project, the Initiative will determine its expansion goals for 2012, which it anticipates to feature more participants.

Implementation

By working with host and partner organizations in Ethiopia and colleges in the United States, USCSE will create opportunities for volunteers and interns to work in areas such as government, business, nonprofit, media, and the arts. We will work to coordinate the logistics for each volunteer or intern.

While in Ethiopia, participants will spend their stay working with an organization that has been selected according to their interest. For example, college students majoring in Education might volunteer and teach English Literature at a primary school while students majoring in Health Sciences might intern with a Medical Doctor at a hospital.

Upon return to the United States, all interns and volunteers commit to becoming members of the Initiative. Participants will host an event to share their experiences or launch a project at EGI. Additionally, participants will attend and present on their experiences at the annual EGI Global Summit. Participants will continue a relationship with their host organizations after returning to the U.S. by holding fundraisers or organizing awareness events. Participants will be able to use the Ethiopian Global Initiative name to carry out their post-trip efforts.

Apply to Participate

Participants will be selected through a competitive process that will include submitting an application consisting of a transcript, resume, list of references, and essays. Once selected, interns or volunteers will be assigned to host organizations based on their credentials and interests.

To apply, download the application here , and then submit your response to uscse@ethgi.org by 5pm on Tuesday, March 15, 2011. 

Please direct any inquiries in regards to the application to uscse@ethgi.org