Ashinaga is a Japanese Foundation based in Tokyo. It aims at providing financial support and emotional care to young people around the world who have lost either one or both parents. With a history of more than 55 years, its support has enabled more than 110,000 orphaned students to gain access to higher education.

The Ashinaga Africa Initiative (AAI) aims to contribute to Sub-Saharan Africa’s expanding role in global development through increasing access to international higher education. AAI Scholars are students who have lost one or both parents and are committed to returning home, or to the region of Sub-Saharan Africa, to initiate change, innovation, and development. 
Interns working at Ashinaga Senegal have the unique opportunity to teach and mentor around 20 talented students, each from a different country of Sub-Saharan Africa. These students are ambitious high school graduates, selected by Ashinaga to receive a full scholarship for an undergraduate degree abroad.  

Depending on their country of origin, selected students will spend a preparatory year in one of Ashinaga’s regional offices:  

• In Senegal for French speaking students who will study in France or those who will study in English. 
• In Uganda for English speaking and Portuguese-speaking students. 

This preparatory year has three main objectives: 

1. Preparation for higher education abroad 
2. Life abroad preparation 
3. Capacity development 

These objectives will be achieved through two Camps: the six-month Study Camp (July to December 2021), which focuses on strengthening the students’ academic skills, preparation for university applications and the improvement of their leadership skills. And through the Preparatory Camp (see information below).

In Senegal, three linguistic tracks are available:  

• Francophone track for studying in France. 
• Anglophone track for studying in English in Japan (there is a possibility that a small number of francophone students will go on to study in the UK or the USA).
• Japanese track for studying in Japanese in Japan.  

Between the two Camps, the students go back to their country of origin before returning to Senegal to participate in a second two-month Preparatory Camp (May-June 2022). This will focus on the practical aspects of living and studying abroad while further strengthening the students’ academic and leadership skills.  
 
We are looking for interns to teach specific subjects related to our Anglophone track students’ studies and more general university skills, preparation for English language tests such as IELTS as well as offer support with university applications (support with CV, cover letters and applications). 

6-month duration: July 1st to December 17th, 2021 (for Anglophone track interns). 

If you are more interested in teaching in French, please follow the Jotform link for our francophone internship program at the bottom of this page.

 

Covid-19 sanitary crisis:

Please note that the dates are subject to change depending on the sanitary situation and entry regulations in Senegal. If Ashinaga decides that the Study Camp should be done online, the internship could be done remotely.

Your main responsibilities include: 

• Create and teach courses in line with each student's desired field of study (class size up to 19 students), including preparation for English language tests such as IELTS. 
• Create, in collaboration with other interns and supervisors, curricula that meet students' needs. 
• Teach university skills classes such as critical thinking, study and computer skills. 
• Support students in their university applications (support with CV, cover letters, university research, applications portal, etc.). 
• Mentoring (providing moral support) and supporting students in their academic, personal and professional development. 
• Create and manage a program of extracurricular and cultural activities and conduct them in order to unite students and develop their self-confidence and leadership skills. 

Your other responsibilities may include: 

• Undertake detailed research on sub-Saharan Africa in different areas. 
• Help develop our external relations network and contribute to our external communication and marketing through social media. 
• Support us in certain administrative tasks (such as the translation of documents).  

Your profile:  

• You are currently at university or you have recently graduated. 
• You like to teach: you have a student-centered approach and a willingness to adapt teaching materials and methods. You can manage a classroom with different levels and can be strict if necessary.  
• You are familiar with the structure of English language tests such as IELTS. 
• You are not afraid to face new challenges, implement new ideas and to take initiative. 
• You can work alone and in a multicultural team in which you can share your knowledge and experience. 
• You have can be autonomous with your work management and you are able to prioritize the tasks entrusted to you. 
• You have excellent communication skills: you encourage and participate in concise, clear and confident communication. You can talk about topics in an inspiring, motivating and positive way. 
• You are professional: you take care of your image, you have a sense of responsibility, you know how to control yourself and how to keep calm under pressure. 
• You are open-minded, curious and eager to learn, while respecting and encouraging individual and cultural differences. 
• You are patient, attentive, available and know how to respect the confidentiality of certain information. 
• You are passionate about working on supporting our students and assist them in their personal development. We believe above all in a passion for sharing knowledge while showing kindness and listening to students. 
• You speak fluent English and have a good knowledge of French (desirable); if you have some knowledge of Japanese and/or Wolof, that is a plus! 

Working hours:

You will work Monday to Friday from 8:45 am to 5 pm, with a one-hour lunch break between 1 and 2 pm. Overtime may occur occasionally and will not be compensated.

 Some other benefits:

• The price of a round-trip air ticket, at a maximum price of:
  • 700 € for flights from Europe or Africa;
  • 1,500 € for flights from Asia;
  • 1,200 € for flights from the American continent
• Reimbursement of your health insurance at a maximum cost of €100 per month of internship.
• Accommodation: you will share accommodation with other interns of the same gender.
• A free lunch is offered on working days (Monday to Friday).
• A compensation of 25,000 CFA per week (this is an unpaid internship, however, with this compensation you can cover your daily needs).
• But above all, a very pleasant and potentially transformative internship!

 

Do you want to have a significant impact on the lives of these students, while getting to know yourself better professionally and personally? Are you looking for new challenges such as working for a Japanese organization on the African continent? Do you want to live a 100% human and authentic experience within the international Ashinaga family? Don't hesitate any longer and apply!

Location: Dakar, Senegal

 

Camp dates:

Study Camp (Anglophone track): July 12th - December 17th, 2021

Study Camp (Francophone track): August 9th - December 17th, 2021 

 

Internship application deadline: April 30th, 2021

 

Do you have a more francophone profile and/or are you interested in teaching in French? Do not hesitate to apply for the Francophone internship program and please click on the link below: 

https://eu.jotform.com/form/210343280373548:

 

Below are some testimonies of interns for the Ashinaga Africa Initiative in Senegal: 

"I was able to put into practice the skills I learned at university. I couldn't have dreamt of a better way to demonstrate my skills." (Aina, intern in 2019, Madagascar) 

"Ashinaga allowed me to do an internship that made sense, helping young people reach their respective professional projects and having teaching experience." (Matthieu, intern in 2018, France)

"This very human experience in a multicultural environment has taught me a lot, and I felt I could be a change maker, even on a small scale." (Maissa, intern in 2018, France/Algeria)

"This internship is an opportunity to experience a human adventure where you learn a lot from the Other, where you constantly question yourself and try to give your best." (Anthony, intern in 2019, France)

Do you want a more concrete overview? Click here to see the video (in French): bit.ly/internstestimony 

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write us at: senegaloffice@ashinaga.org