Communications Intern ​(East Africa & Madagascar)

Background

Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH NL) is an international child rights organisation committed to stopping child exploitation. Our vision is ‘a world in which children are no longer exploited’ and our mission is ‘to prevent child exploitation, remove children from exploitative situations and ensure these children can develop in a safe environment.’

Our vision and mission are inspired and guided by international human rights instruments and standards, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention, the International Labour Organisation Conventions and aligned with achievement of the SDGs, in particular Goals 5, 8 and 16.

In Africa, Terre des Hommes Netherlands works in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Madagascar. Our work is focused on preventing child exploitation in all its forms. As such we work with communities, government, private sector, civil society organisations and children themselves, at the centre, to address systemic and structural drivers that expose children to exploitation. We build the capacity of communities and local structures to effectively prevent, detect, report and respond to child exploitation; we purpose to address systemic and structural drivers of child exploitation. We also collaborate with other actors to influence strengthening of the legal and policy environment for better promotion and protection of children rights.

Objectives of the internship

The communication intern will provide support in the implementation of all the communication activities in five countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Madagascar) targeting audiences that are both external (for organisational profiling) and internal (information and technical support needs of colleagues).

The communications intern will report and receive technical guidance from the Senior Regional Communications Officer based in the East Africa office located in Nairobi, Kenya, with whom (s)he will be working closely together with.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Provide support in the implementation of communications plans for the East Africa region and Madagascar.
• Provide support in the implementation of communication activities and campaigns to raise awareness of the organisation’s work, projects and programmes to various local, regional and international audiences.
• Develop, schedule and publish monthly content (visuals and compelling captions) for social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) to raise TdH NL’s visibility online.
• Prepare monthly newsletters to showcase Terre des Hommes Netherlands’s work in the countries and in the region.
• Maintain and update content on the Terre des Hommes Netherlands website.
• Write and publish high-quality case stories to be used for internal and external communication purposes.
• Produce high quality communication and profiling materials for the region, such as one-pager fact sheets, profiles, annual reports.
• Assist in supporting the country teams with their communication needs, such as reviewing Information, Education and Communication materials, reviewing stories/reports, reviewing videos/documentaries, posting content on online channels etc, in line with TdH NL’s branding guidelines.
• Conduct media monitoring activities and coordinate with regional and country media contacts for publicity & visibility in various channels which include TV, radio & print.
• Conduct research on various topics and emerging trends relevant to our work.
• Provide communication support to country teams during physical and virtual events
• Provide marketing and communication support to the country teams during field visits
• Share monthly progress reports and submit specific quarterly social media reports required by different donors
• Complete any other duties as assigned.

Knowledge and experience

• A recent graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism or multimedia.
• Experience in social media and web content management (including working with content management software).
• Experience in writing and editing various communication products for various audiences, knowledge of graphic design (experience with Canva or Adobe) and experience with various platforms (Google Analytics, Buffer, Meltwater, Google Ad words, Tweetdeck, Mailchimp).
• Computer literacy: well conversant with working in the Google Cloud and its applications (Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc), including basic skills in working with photo and video editing software.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, in fluent English.
• Good command of French will be an added asset.

Competencies

• Excellent communication skills, interpersonal skills and teamwork skills.
• Thorough and precise working style, with strong attention to detail.
• Dynamic, self-motivated and self-starting personality who can be proactive and take initiative.
• Basic knowledge and understanding of child protection issues in East Africa.
• Ability to plan and organise well, setting goals and achieving results in line with the goals set.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and respond flexibly to changing priorities.
• Ability to think ‘outside the box for creative communication solutions.
• Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor his/ her work.