Nutrition Internships in Arusha

Internship details

Nutrition interns are placed with community groups or in regional clinics or hospitals, where patients with severe and complex cases of malnutrition are referred for care. Interns work alongside local nutritionists, medical professionals and advocates who endeavor to treat and educate adults and children who are suffering from the effects of long-term malnutrition.

This is an in-country internship, with accommodation and meals provided.

Anemia and chronic malnutrition affect many children in Tanzania. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also at risk of suffering from preventable nutritional deficiencies. Many people don’t have access to specialized nutrition advice, so interns play an important role in helping to provide support to those in need. These Nutrition internships in Arusha, Tanzania are highly valuable learning opportunities for interns to understand the unique needs of individuals in a culturally and economically diverse environment.

To create a more immersive program, which can diversify your experience, Nutrition internships will include hospital, clinical and community based placements. From a clinical perspective, interns gain a practical understanding of how nutritionists evaluate, diagnose and treat those with nutrition concerns. This is done by shadowing local professionals in an observational capacity. Interns may be given the opportunity to actively participate in the work performed by their team, once their skills and experience have been effectively demonstrated.

Community based placement will be with a local community group, providing assistance to families and their children in all areas of nutrition. Interns are involved in putting together food packages, running nutritional workshops and home visits for those in need of nutrition education, advice and support. Interns will need to be prepared to travel across the city with their supervisor to reach patients and families in their homes. Average travel times can range from 45-60 minutes, so interns must be physically fit and able.

Note that supervision on these internships is handled by a range of medical professionals. Interns must expect to work in a multidisciplinary team. Depending on your medical department and variations of your daily roster, this may include nursing teams, doctors, or other department heads. Such team members are in the best position to provide guidance, direction, and answer questions as it will pertain to current duties and responsibilities. Therefore, there is not one sole supervisor throughout, as interns interact with a range of local staff in various positions, deferring to their expertise and instruction. Outside of the placement supervision, interns additionally have access to support from the Program Director, who oversees placement allocation.

Interns should come prepared to encounter a healthcare environment which is very likely going to be quite different from what you’re used to. Facilities and community groups are usually under-resourced and placements can also be relatively under-staffed. This is the reality of healthcare in many underdeveloped countries. Interns are encouraged to maintain a professional, caring and compassionate outlook, striving to understand local contexts, enhance cultural intelligence, and learn from the knowledge and experience of local professionals.

Nutrition internships in Tanzania are conducted in English. Most patients speak at least basic English, although you should be prepared for the fact that you won’t always understand what’s being said if locals are conversing in other dialects. Your internship supervisors are available to provide support and assist you in understanding exchanges, as and when appropriate.

Despite challenges which face the country’s healthcare sector, Tanzania has a strong tourism economy and is one of Africa’s most popular destinations. Outside of your internship schedule, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the attractions that people travel from all over the world to experience. The world-renowned Ngorongoro Crater and Mt Kilimanjaro National Park are popular day trips, which our local coordinators can help you to arrange. A trip to Tanzania is simply not complete without experiencing an African safari either - you can combine this internship with a safari in the Serengeti national park, which will truly make this trip unforgettable.

It is important to note that the internship placements grouped as “Medical” require interns to make a Ministry of Health contribution. This supports the operation of placements and covers supervision for interns on medical-related placements. This contribution is not included in the internship program fee; it must be made directly, in-country, under the direction and guidance of the Program Coordinator in Arusha. Interns will not be permitted to commence their placement until this has been covered. The amount of the Ministry of Health contribution varies, as it is not the same for every clinic/hospital. However, to cover the contribution sufficiently, we ask interns to budget up to US$75 per week.

Career Benefits