UCU East Africa Internships
The UCU East Africa Programme was established in 2006 by a group of academics in response to the students’ wish for experiential learning, and the dream of contributing to making the world a better place. Help us to provide financial aid to students who cannot cover the expenses for participating in the programme.
The UCU East Africa programme seeks to inspire tomorrow’s global leaders and citizens, whether those working directly in fields associated with international development or those in other fields implicated by globalisation. Participants are selected based on their genuine interest in development issues, interdisciplinary and cross-cultural interests, and intellectual and emotional maturity.
After following a preparatory summer course in Utrecht, students follow a field course travelling through East Africa. After a few weeks, they commit to several internships throughout the region.
You can also donate directly by scanning the QR-code.
Testimonials of UCU East Africa participants
Alicia Mori
“The UCU East Africa field course and my internship with Sauti Moja Tanzania in 2013 gave me the opportunity to explore Maasai culture and develop meaningful relationships with individuals and communities. I went on to pursue a Master’s degree in Anthropology and eventually received the Pathy Foundation Fellowship, which provided me with the opportunity to pilot a land rights education project (Land is Our Life) in partnership with the Tanzanian organisation. Those experiences continue to directly influence my life and career. Currently, I live in Canada where I am privileged to work at the BC Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation negotiating First Nation treaties.”
Pau Castellvi Canet
“After the insightful UCU East Africa field course I had the opportunity to work with people fighting STDs. The programme helped me achieve new levels of self-critical reflection regarding my thoughts on other identities, labels, classes and ethnicities. Above all, it led me to reflect on new aspects of the human condition, and to grow as a young adult, an activist and a thinker. This was key to a very instructive experience that still accompanies me today in my job as a policy-maker in Castellar del Vallès (Barcelona), as a Bureau Member at the European Liberal Youth and as a Postgraduate Researcher at University of Birmingham.”
Josje Bouwmeester
"Without a doubt, the UCU East Africa programme has been the most transformative experience of my life. Besides providing me with incredible professional opportunities, it has taught me important skills such as intercultural communication, cultural and self-awareness, adaptability, courage, etc. But most importantly, in a world in which people increasingly tend to think in terms of ‘us vs. them’, the programme has allowed me to experience our shared humanity, and to understand the importance of building connections across divides and creating a sense of shared responsibility for each other."
Vera Vrijmoeth
“My internship at ILEPA in Narok gave me the unique opportunity to put my ideals into practice. By studying the political participation of Maasai women during a national election, I experienced moments of wonder and intense learning. Being able to do a project for a local NGO meant for me a reversal of the power dynamics between west and non-west. This taught me modesty, but also ingrained in me the insight that those affected are always the ones that have the key to the solution (and to seeing what the problem is). Too often we don’t listen but tell and having experienced the first was incredibly valuable. I am immensely grateful for the experience UCU East Africa - in particular the internship programme - gave me.”
Falko Levitt
“The UCU East Africa programme has been one of those rare life-changing experiences. It changed my worldview, and it has made me a more open and humble person. It has deepened my understanding of cultural differences and global social inequality. Furthermore, it has made me understand that even though there might be differences between people, in the end we are all much more similar than we are different from one another. It has also made me less materialistic. I now realise that I need less stuff; the people around me are what really contributes to how I feel.”