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 

The Mukwege Foundation’s communications plans follow the five-year strategic plan 2024 – 2028, which guides its work and ensures measurable progress toward its mission and objectives. In 2026, the annual plan includes supporting the communications of the Mukwege Foundation’s 10th anniversary, including the development of core content and visual identity assets and increase our digital engagement and visibility across our digital touchpoints through updated website content, social media content, and quarterly newsletters. 

Internship/volunteer role overview 

This 6-month internship with the Mukwege Foundation has the primary objective of supporting the Communications Specialist with executing digital campaigns, from creative ideation to hands-on production of short-form videos and visual content using tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, InDesign, and Canva, helping to mobilise global audiences and amplify survivors’ voices.  

This role offers hands-on experience in a fast-paced international nonprofit and exposure to survivor-centred, ethical communications across social media, newsletters, and the website. 

Tasks

The Communications Intern will assist with: 

Campaign execution 

• Support the execution of campaigns linked to the long-arch 10-year anniversary series of events. 

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

Social media  

• Maintain and update the social media content calendar (events, commemorative dates, campaign milestones) following the coordination meetings with the Communications Specialist. 

• Draft social media copy in line with branding guidelines and internal review processes following the calendar.  

• Monitor social media channels and flag sensitive or high-priority engagement.

Website 

• Upload and format content on the website, including news, updates, and campaign pages, as needed. 

• Support ongoing website content maintenance and updates using WordPress.

Design and multimedia 

• Create short-form videos and visual content for social media using Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, Lightroom) and Canva Pro as part of campaigns and regular weekly social media content creation.

• Develop flyers, social media carousels and digital assets for events and campaigns.

• Adapt and update design templates as needed.

Content 

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

• Support the maintenance of the Mukwege Foundation’s asset libraries (photo and video indexes) to ensure they are up to date. 

• Take photos and videos for social media and other communication channels using the Mukwege Foundation’s camera equipment. 

With mutual agreement, other discrete tasks of a similar nature may also be assigned.  

Profile of the candidate

The ideal candidate should have: 

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. 

• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.

• Proactive, self-motivated and comfortable taking initiative.

• Able to coordinate effectively with multiple stakeholders, including internal teams and external consultants, and creative agencies.

• Understanding of and commitment to survivor-centred and ethical communications.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. 

• Ability to write clear, engaging and audience-appropriate social media copy.

• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow brand and editorial guidelines.

Desirable

Technical and creative skills 

• Experience in social media content creation.

• Strong design skills and proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Illustrator) and Canva.

• Experience creating and editing short-form video content for social media. 

• Familiarity with WordPress (or similar CMS platforms). 

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

• Experience with social media analytics.

Reporting and Management   

The Communications Intern 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    

• The candidate shall sign and adhere to a non-disclosure agreement. 

How to apply  

Please send your cover letter and CV, in English, no later than 10 March 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