Internships Details

About the Organization

AAI staff is proud to have been involved in the adoptive placement of thousands of children over the past 20 years. We believe that children belong in families and are committed to processing each adoption with respect for the welfare of the child and concern for the emotional support of the adopting parents. http://www.adoptionadvocates.org/

Layla House is operated by Adoption Advocates International and an NGO with authority from the Ethiopian government to arrange adoptions of orphan children with qualified and loving American parents.

AAI recently purchased and renovated a large compound of buildings in Addis Ababa where approximately 100 orphan children live while they wait to be matched with their adoptive families. While at Layla House, the children are prepared for life in America. They attend classes and begin to learn English. Conversational English is emphasized, and the children learn to sing songs, count, name the colors, recognize the letters of the alphabet and do simple math, for example. One of the favorite subjects is geography, and the children like to study the map of the U.S. to see where their new families are located and where their friends are going to live. They also work with arts and crafts, puzzles and games.

Pictures: click here

Job Description

Possible intern activities include: teaching elementary English; orienting orphanage residents to American customs and culture; facilitating arts and crafts activities, games and play; health, hygiene and sanitation education and projects; childhood development activities; tutoring (especially English language and American culture).

Other possible areas of activities include: instruction in Life Skills for older orphans including Sex Education, Vocational Training, English lessons.

*Most communication and activities will meet the practical challenges of the language barrier. Previous exposure to Amharic language would be great, but is not a requirement. Interns should be prepared to take considerable effort to learn basic, functional Amharic on site.

# of Positions per term

3-4

Start Dates

Any

Duration of Internship

10 Weeks - 6 Months (6 Months preferred)

Qualifications

Academic Background

Possible academic training or majors include: Education, Peer Education, International Studies, Pre-Medicine, Public Health, Amharic.

Skills/Experience

Pre-school/kindergarten/Head Start/elementary education/ or other experience with children preferred. Teaching experience preferred.

Language Ability

Fluency in English, and exposure to Amharic is very helpful.

Other Requirements

Previous experience in a developing country recommended. Follow-up screening with AAI arranged upon recommendation of intern by IE3.

Internship Costs

Total costs vary depending on how long you plan to be abroad, where you will be living, your personal spending habits, and current exchange rates. The following estimates will give you a ballpark figure for this internship. Get help with the math from our handy Cost Calculator.

IE₃ Program Fee

The program fee* for the first term of any internship is $2950 - $3150. You do not pay tuition in addition to the program fee. Visit your University's IE₃ page for details, costs for additional terms, and campus administrative fees.

*The program fee noted above reflects the anticipated fee increase that will go into effect for the Fall 2010 term and will apply to all terms thereafter.

Estimated One-Time Expenses

Expense Type	Price
International Travel	Approximately $2000 rountrip from Portland to Addis Ababa
Visa Fees	$70
Recommended Immunizations	$400

*See Additional Cost Information below.

Estimated Monthly Expenses

Expense Type	Price/month
Housing	$300
Food	$300
Local Transportation	$100
Recreation	$50
Personal Expenses	$50

Compensation

None

Additional Expense Information

*The $10/day food allowance is quite generous; it assumes eating every meal at a restaurant. However, food can be prepared at home for much less and some meals are included with the accommodation payment.

Telephone calls to the US are very expensive, it is recommended that students plan to rely on the internet to keep in touch with family and friends – or arrange times to receive phone calls (calls from Addis to the U.S. are approximately $2.50 a minute. Phone cards can be purchased so that a phone call from the U.S. to Addis is only about 35 cents per minute).

Students who have participated in Africa internships have suggested that interns may want to bring additional money so that they may participate more in uniquely African activities, such as visits to game parks, buying local clothing and crafts, contributing to local organizations, and bringing home gifts for friends and family. Therefore, depending on your interests, you may want to budget additional funds. The proposed budget includes $50 per month to allow for some entertainment and recreation.

Additional Information

This internship is very popular and may fill in advance of the program deadline. Apply early.

What Will Become of Africa's AIDS Orphans? By Melissa Fay Green New York Times Magazine, December 22, 2002 http://melissafaygreene.com/pages/afraidsorph.html