Empowering African Nations Since 1981
International Fellows Program
The International Fellows Program (IFP) is a nine-month internship for talented recent college graduates and graduate students to provide on-the-job development experience in Africa. Our Fellows provide technical assistance and training to community-based grassroots projects including education, literacy, health development, HIV/AIDS, English as a Second Language, agricultural development, proposal development, managerial training, feasibility studies and small business development. The program began in 1988 in response to the need for technical support of international development nonprofit organizations. To date, we have placed more than 176 Fellows in 28 countries, primarily in Africa, but also in Asia, South America and Australia.
We partner with leading international development organizations who are implementing sustainable development projects in sub-Saharan Africa including Africare, UNAIDS and other agencies, Opportunities Industrialization Centers International, Save the Children and World Cocoa Foundation. In addition, Fellows also serve under our USAID and ECHOES projects as well as assisting host organizations in building sustainable projects.
Upon completion of their assignments, returning Fellows are often employed with recognized development organizations, sometimes those to which they were assigned. This program offers a unique opportunity for participants to contribute technical knowledge and gain practical work experience in economic and social development.
Deadline to Apply: February 28th
To be eligible for IFESH volunteer programs, you must:
1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
2. Be a college graduate (advanced degree preferred).
In addition to a completed application, applicants must submit:
A cover letter, a resume, three professional or academic letters of recommendation, copies of college transcripts and a one to two-page typed essay. The essay should include your reasons for applying to volunteer, qualifications and experience for participation, and career objectives.
Assignments are filled based on requests from host countries and institutions for volunteers with specific skills. Complete the application and supporting materials as fully as possible to give yourself the best chance for consideration.
If you would like to participate in the program, click here to download an application. Once you have completely filled out the application, you may e-mail it along with a cover letter to volunteer@ifesh.org.
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 7.0 or higher) on your system to download the volunteer application.
Free Download
You may submit the application online by clicking the "submit by e-mail" button at the bottom of the application or you may download the completed application and e-mail it as an attachment to volunteer@ifesh.org.
If you experience technical difficulties while completing the application online, please fax the application to (480) 443-1824 or send by mail to:
IFESH Volunteer Programs
5040 East Shea Boulevard, Suite 260
Scottsdale, Arizona 85254-4687
