Are you a recent graduate from Rwanda? Have you ever dreamed of doing a professional internship? Do you want to gain employability skills and a professional experience before you get a job in your area of academic focus? If the answers are yes, the good news is that there is an internship program known as the RDB (Rwanda Development Board) Professional Internship which is offered to eligible candidates from Rwanda so that they can do their internships in various institutions in the country.

Related: United Nations Internship Programme

To mention a few about some benefits from Rwanda Youth Internship Program, internship provides tangible work experience needed by most employers. The Youth Internship Program offers opportunities for students to earn valuable working experience and facilitates the transition between school and the workforce. Besides, internship contributes considerably to an improvement of employability skills while helping to address the human resource constraints.

Read also: African Centre for Technology Studies Internship Programme

As outlined in this article, it is about the RDB Professional Internship in Rwanda. Besides, the past intern under such internship program will share with you his experience and helpful tips from applying until doing the internship. If you are a good fit for this great opportunity, never miss it, please! This opportunity can open gates for you to learn a lot and to actively contribute to the development of the community while gaining many other things like building a professional network and marketing yourself at the job market.

See about: WHO Internship Program

Eligibility Criteria

As found on the official website by September, 2023, eligibility requirements to apply for the RDB internship are provided below.

▶The RDB internship program is open to all Rwandan fresh graduates from higher learning institutions (HLIs), TVET (IPRCs) in Rwanda or from abroad, who need professional experience and employability skills.

Suggested: OIST Research Internship in Japan

How to Apply

Regarding the application process for the RDB professional internship, qualified candidates can apply online by completing the online form which is available on the RDB website . You can have a look at the RDB internship application form and find what you need to fill out such form.

It is important to note that candidates interested in this internship can also approach the RDB Internship Office or call 1415 for getting the support needed so that they can apply for this internship opportunity.

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Experience and Advice from the past Intern

Being the past intern for the RDB professional internship, the writer of this article can not end without sharing with you some tips when applying for the RDB internship and without mentioning some great benefits you get from it.

After graduating from the University of Rwanda in 2014, I decided to apply for the RDB professional internship so that I could develop my employability skills and get a working experience. By visiting the RDB website, I carefully checked eligibility guidelines and required documents in order to submit the application. I prepared required application materials and filled out the internship application form online. Prior to the end of the same graduation year, I received a call about the RDB decision on my internship application, and I was requested to go and start the internship.

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After accepting the offer, I joined the Rwanda Agriculture Board (current Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board) for spending six months in the great working environment, and I was able to learn a lot about serving the Rwandan community with a focus on the Rwandan farmers. During the internship period, I had served and assisted the beneficiaries of various agricultural development programs and projects in Rwanda, and I had interacted with (learnt a great package of skills and knowledge from) experienced professionals, researchers and decision makers among others. This allowed me to learn how the job gets done and how to actively contribute to the community development in your country, even before securing a permanent job. This way, I developed my employability skills and earned a precious working experience.

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Concerning financial benefits, under the RDB internship program, you benefit a lot including the monthly allowance and you can even get paid some extra amount of money by the receiving institution (employing institution). For instance, when you go into the field work, there is a possibility of getting the mission fees following the rules, regulations and policies of the employer.

Check this: The Machel-Mandela Fellowship Program for Young Graduates

The last but not least, if you are interested in becoming an intern under the RDB internship, you need to think about the application timeline. You may be preparing for graduation and you can start preparing to apply for the internship when you get academic documents needed. It is also possible that you are a recent graduate, and you have required documents or you are getting them sooner. The rest is that you need to prepare application materials and submit your application as soon as you can. It is because several applicants may have sent their applications and they may get assessed first. So, being on the list of applicants before the receiving institutions request interns from RDB can undoubtedly increase the chance of getting the internship earlier. It is very simple, check eligibility, prepare the required materials, and then apply. Please, note that sometimes, special calls for interns under such internship program are made. But no need to wait for them if it is possible to submit the application online any time. After applying, the rest is to wait for the results and keep searching for other educational opportunities and related ones.

Do you know that you may be an eligible applicant for several paid internship programs around the world? Why not try to apply for them if applicable?