About us 

The Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation (MF) is an international rights-based, survivor-centred organisation, dedicated to ending sexual violence as a weapon of war globally. The Mukwege Foundation supports survivors’ demands for a world where sexual violence as a weapon of war is no longer tolerated, and bears consequences for individual perpetrators and states. We work for a future where survivors receive the holistic care and compensation they need to rebuild their lives. We create opportunities for survivors to speak out and be heard, and where they can organise to create change, influence policies, and demand justice and accountability. 

Background  

At the Mukwege Foundation, everything we do is guided by a five-year strategy (2024–2028) and a mission that matters: supporting survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and changing the global response to the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Communications are how that mission reaches people, helping them to understand and engage with the change we are working to achieve. 

As our Communications Intern/Volunteer, you’ll help organise our communications assets, from powerful photos and videos to the archives and systems behind them. Your work will make our stories easier to share and use for years to come, so the voices of survivors keep reaching the people who need to hear them. 

What you’ll do 

You will work side-by-side with our Communications Specialist on two fronts. First, you’ll help bring our social media campaigns to life. Second, you’ll play a central role in building our new media library: organising, cataloguing, indexing and migrating our communications assets so that everything is properly classified, easy to retrieve and accessible to colleagues across the organisation. 

What you’ll gain 

This is your chance to get real, hands-on experience in a dynamic international non-profit organisation. You’ll learn what survivor-centred, ethical communications look like in practice across social media, newsletters and our website, and you’ll leave knowing that your work has lasting impact on how our mission is shared with the world 

Tasks 

The Communications Intern/Volunteer will: 

• Assist with the development of flagship communications materials, including the Annual Activity Report, social media posts, video scripts, news items and press releases.  

• Support the maintenance, organisation and clean-up of the Mukwege Foundation media libraries, including the migration of photo and videos between SharePoint environments.  

• Contribute to campaign content creation, including social media copywriting, design, and video editing, as well as scheduling, planning, and campaign coordination. 

Profile of the candidate 

Mandatory

• The candidate must either be enrolled in or have recently graduated from a degree in Communications, Media, Journalism, Graphic Design, Marketing or a related field. 

• Strong interest in the topic of armed conflict, gender-based violence, human rights, and/or conflict-related sexual violence. 

• Proficient in Microsoft 365 tools, particularly SharePoint, Excel, Word.  

• Attentive to detail, highly organised and autonomous.  

• Ability to prioritise and work under pressure.  

• Hands-on attitude and proactive mindset.  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.  

• Ability to manage large volumes of information accurately and systematically.  

Desirable 

• Experience managing databases, datasets, media libraries or digital repositories 

• Experience with content migration  

• Familiarity with WordPress (or similar CMS platforms) 

• Experience using social media scheduling tools (e.g. Hootsuite) 

• Experience in social media content creation  

• Strong design skills 

Reporting and Management   

The Communications Intern/Volunteer will report to the Communications Specialist.  

Conditions of the internship/volunteer opportunity  

The internship/volunteering will be conducted under the following terms and conditions:    

• The candidate undertakes this role on a volunteer basis or as an intern   

• A small monthly allowance can be offered, based on Dutch law   

• The candidate must be based in the Netherlands with occasional commute to the Foundation’s office in The Hague    

• The candidate shall adhere to the Code of Conduct of the Mukwege Foundation    

• Duration: 6 months, ideally starting on 15 November  

How to apply  

Please send your cover letter and CV, in English, no later than 31 October 2026 to Ms. Lucy Shanahan, Office Manager, at vacancies@mukwegefoundation.org.  

We will interview candidates on a rolling basis and may close the vacancy earlier if the right candidate is identified before the stated deadline. As such, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.  

Please note that the Mukwege Foundation complies with the GDPR policy on personal data security. If you are not selected for this role, we will delete all applicant data from our records within three months of the vacancy deadline.