Application Guide
How to Apply for Intern - Strategy and Communications
at Amref Health Africa
🏢 About Amref Health Africa
Amref Health Africa is unique as the largest African-based international health development organization, founded in 1957 with deep roots in the continent. Unlike many global health organizations, Amref operates with an African-led approach, focusing on community-driven solutions and addressing social determinants of health rather than just medical interventions. Working here offers the opportunity to contribute to sustainable health systems while being part of an organization that centers African expertise and leadership.
About This Role
This Strategy and Communications Intern role involves supporting organizational transformation initiatives in Ethiopia while developing strategic documents and communications materials. You'll conduct research on sector trends and systems issues specific to Amref's Ethiopian priorities, then translate findings into practical briefs and presentations. This role is impactful because you'll directly contribute to shaping how Amref communicates its community-led health approach while supporting coordination across teams during transformation efforts.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve morning research on Ethiopian health sector trends, followed by synthesizing findings into a brief for the strategy team. You'd likely spend time supporting coordination activities by tracking transformation initiative progress across different departments, then work on making presentation materials visually compelling for internal communications. The remote nature means you'll be collaborating via digital platforms while focusing on Amref's Ethiopia-specific priorities.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Amref Health Africa Is Looking For
- A current student or recent graduate in Public Health, Communications, or International Development who can connect academic knowledge to Amref's community-led health systems approach
- Someone with demonstrated ability to synthesize complex research into clear, visually appealing documents and presentations—not just strong writing but strong visual communication skills
- A detail-oriented organizer who can track multiple transformation initiatives simultaneously while maintaining accuracy in summaries and coordination support
- A candidate who understands both strategic thinking and practical implementation, able to move between high-level analysis and supporting day-to-day coordination activities
📝 Tips for Applying to Amref Health Africa
Highlight any experience with African health systems or community-led development approaches—even academic projects count
Include a writing sample that demonstrates your ability to synthesize research into practical recommendations, ideally related to public health or international development
Showcase your visual communication skills by mentioning specific tools (Canva, PowerPoint advanced features) and providing examples of documents you've made 'visually appealing'
Demonstrate understanding of Amref's specific approach by referencing their focus on 'social determinants of health' and 'community-led systems' in your application materials
If you have Ethiopian context knowledge or language skills, emphasize this since the role supports Ethiopia-specific priorities
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your understanding of Amref's African-led model and how it differs from other global health organizations", "Specific examples of research you've conducted and how you transformed findings into practical outputs (briefs, presentations, recommendations)", 'Your ability to support coordination across teams—mention any experience with tracking multiple projects or initiatives simultaneously', "Why you're particularly interested in supporting transformation initiatives within an established organization like Amref"]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Amref's current programs in Ethiopia specifically—look for their Ethiopia country office reports or initiatives
- → Their 'Lasting health change in Africa' strategy documents to understand their long-term approach
- → How Amref implements 'community-led health systems' in practice—case studies or project examples
- → Recent organizational transformation initiatives mentioned in their annual reports or news section
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Generic applications that don't mention Amref's African-led approach or community-focused model
- Focusing only on medical/clinical health aspects without addressing social determinants or systems thinking
- Submitting poorly formatted documents—this role specifically requires 'visually appealing' outputs, so your application materials should demonstrate this skill
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Amref Health Africa!