International Gender Equity Advocacy and Program Development, Mombasa, Kenya

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS! See below for information about application deadlines and program start dates.

About FSD in Mombasa, Kenya FSD and its partner organizations in Kenya work to supply training, education, microfinance, health care, and other resources for women and their families. Currently, women in Kenya do the vast majority of agricultural work and produce/market the majority of food. Yet they earn only a fraction of the income generated and own a nominal percentage of assets. Only 29 percent of those earning a formal wage throughout the country are women, leaving a huge percentage of women to work in the informal sector without any federal support. The effect is severe—nearly 40 percent of households are run solely by women and, because of a lack of fair income, nearly all these homes suffer from poverty or extreme poverty. Additionally, they suffer from grave women’s rights infringements beyond the gender inequities faced in education, healthcare, and property ownership—cultural practices such as ritual cleansing and wife inheritance that maintain low self-esteem for women while completely ignoring the threats to their well-being.
To help address these issues, FSD’s programs promote collaboration to enhance the capacity of individuals and organizations to address these pressing health issues.

As an FSD Intern in Mombasa, Kenya, you will…

Work side-by-side with a Community-Based Organization specializing in one more of the following development sectors: health, youth and education, women’s empowerment, microfinance, human rights, community development and/or environmental issues. Receive intensive training in skills essential to sustainable development, such as: community asset mapping, needs assessments, collaborative project design, grant writing, and project monitoring and evaluation. Gain grant writing and project management experience through designing and implementing a community-driven development project in partnership with your host organization. Access the FSD Alumni Network upon your return home to connect with like-minded individuals who help one another to reach their academic and professional goals through networking and regional events. FSD Alumni have won internationally renowned scholarships, studied at prestigious graduate schools, worked for prominent international development organizations, and have even started their own grassroots organizations.

Recent Interns in Mombasa, Kenya have…

Trained female students to be peer educators at their schools and within their communities to disseminate information about rights, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and other social/health issues. Designed and implemented vocational trainings, held group therapy sessions, and cultivated various self-help groups that support the emotional and economic stability of households run by children, widows, and single parents. Provided counseling, nursing, and activities (such as craft and artmaking) at a hospice for elderly and infirmed nuns who have dedicated their lives to serving the local community and have few resources or family to support themselves.
About FSD
Founded in 1995, the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) supports the efforts of more than 300 grassroots, community-based partner organizations throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. FSD’s programs provide multi-faceted support that relies on active community participation to mobilize lasting solutions. FSD programs include: Capacity Building: Our professional field staff provides on-site training and networking opportunities to more than 300 community-based organizations worldwide.
Training Programs Abroad: FSD provides comprehensive training and immersion programs for interns and volunteers who seek hands-on development experience.
Grantmaking: Donations and grants given to FSD are used to support sustainable projects led by our partner organizations.
Engaged Philanthropy: FSD Giving Circles organize groups of donors who pool their time, talent, and resources to make international grants to our partner organizations.

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