Cheerful Hearts Foundation (CHF) offers volunteer and unpaid internship programmes to both Ghanaian nationals and international applicants. The internship programme is designed for those who are currently attending or have recently graduated university. Since 2009, interns from Ghana and around the world have come to CHF to contribute their skills, knowledge, and passion for development and human. It is a great opportunity for current students to gain experience in a professional, non-profit environment and for recent graduates to hone their skills for a career in the development/non-profit sector. Internships are a highly rewarding experience for individuals looking for an intense immersion into Ghanaian culture.

An internship with CHF’s STOP CHILD LABOUR & TRAFFICKING PROJECT will involve working directly with children and their families, fishermen and schools to stop rampant child labour and trafficking practices. The programme also aims to educate and raise awareness about children’s rights in the affected areas. Interns work with project staff approximately five to eight hours a day and collaborate on every aspect of the project. Tasks include conducting interviews with child labour and trafficking victims and the fishermen who hire them, entering and analysing the data, attending meetings with community leaders to discuss findings, negotiating solutions to rescue children, writing project reports and proposals for donors and assisting with daily office duties. Interns also participate in the selection of children eligible for sponsorships to return to school. During the school year, interns are instrumental in presenting a child labour and trafficking education programme to local school children and will devote two days a week to teaching in local schools where rescued children study. However, it must be stressed that the tasks an intern performs on the Stop Child Labour & Trafficking Project are constantly transforming depending on the challenges and obstacles CHF faces in trying to carry out our mission. Therefore an intern must be flexible to participate in the ever-changing schedule of the project.

The labour and trafficking team is now in the exploratory phase of setting up a financial assistance division to address the poverty which drives these children into bondage. Volunteers or interns interested in working with this team are welcome to come at any time of the year, and while placements typically last from three weeks to three months, they are welcome for any amount of time.

Requirements for Child Labour & Trafficking Volunteers and Interns:

  • Fluent in spoken and written English.
  • Must have, or working towards, a Bachelors degree (or equivalent work experience) in: Business, International
  • Development, Psychology, Human Rights, Government, Agriculture, Child Development, Finance, Social Justice, Anthropology or other related fields
  • The creativity and initiative to work independently and within a team to drive projects forward with minimal supervision.
  • The flexibility to participate in many different tasks depending on the ever-changing needs of the project.
  • Ability and motivation to contribute effectively to both the organisation’s field work and office responsibilities.
  • Experience in a human rights-related field preferred but not required.
  • Public speaking experience preferred
  • Computer literacy.
  • Minimum time commitment of four weeks.