Explore the Indian Ocean, discover Zanzibar’s marine ecosystems and contribute to locally led conservation efforts — while building new skills, earning a Global Citizenship qualification and experiencing the adventure of a lifetime.
Discover a different side of Zanzibar — beyond its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters — through an immersive marine conservation internship that brings you closer to the Indian Ocean and the people working to protect it.
As part of Boresha Global Academy, you’ll explore the challenges facing marine ecosystems, learn about responsible conservation and discover how local communities, livelihoods and environmental sustainability are connected.
Your conservation placement forms the heart of your weekday experience, supported by Global Citizenship workshops, personal development, Swahili culture and a collaborative, partner-led Legacy Project. You’ll have opportunities to learn from local conservation professionals and contribute to appropriate activities under their guidance.
And this is much more than an internship. You’ll share Academy life with an international group of young people, enjoy Zanzibar’s beaches and island adventures, and set off on an unforgettable overland journey across mainland Tanzania — including safari experiences in Tarangire and Ngorongoro.
Whether you join for 6 or 12 weeks, you’ll experience a complete Academy journey combining conservation, learning, cultural immersion, friendship and adventure.
Zanzibar’s Indian Ocean is home to extraordinary marine life, vibrant coral reefs and coastal communities whose livelihoods are closely connected to the sea.
Your Dolphin & Marine Conservation internship brings these worlds together through a combination of marine wildlife observation, conservation research, environmental action and community engagement.
Working alongside local conservation partners, you’ll learn how marine ecosystems are monitored and protected, explore the pressures they face and take part in supervised activities that support locally identified conservation priorities.
Rather than simply visiting Zanzibar’s marine environments, you’ll begin to understand them — and discover what responsible, community-connected conservation looks like in practice.
Almost everything you need for your 6 or 12 weeks in Tanzania is built into your Adventure Academy fee.
A small number of personal and independent costs remain outside your Academy program.
Learn about wild dolphin behaviour, habitats and conservation challenges through responsible observation and monitoring activities. Explore how information about dolphin populations can support their long-term protection.
Discover Zanzibar’s coral reefs and coastal habitats, learn about threats such as pollution and climate change, and participate in appropriate reef and marine ecosystem conservation activities.
Develop an understanding of field research through guided observation, biodiversity monitoring and basic data collection, contributing to conservation knowledge and ongoing partner initiatives where appropriate.
Take part in organised coastal clean-ups and learn how plastic pollution, waste management and human activity affect marine habitats, wildlife and coastal communities.
Support locally led awareness activities that connect ocean conservation with everyday life. Explore how education, community participation and sustainable livelihoods contribute to lasting environmental protection.
Settle into Academy life in Zanzibar, meet your placement team and begin building genuine relationships. Through your internship, Global Citizenship learning and island cultural experiences, you'll start understanding the people, place and context behind your work before deciding how you can contribute.
Become increasingly involved in your internship as your confidence and understanding grow. Alongside your placement partner, you'll begin exploring real challenges and identifying where your Legacy Project could make a useful, sustainable contribution.
Turn ideas into action through your partner-led Legacy Project. Co-design, build, test and refine something your placement has identified as genuinely useful — while continuing your internship, Academy learning and adventures across Zanzibar.
Leave island life behind for two unforgettable weeks across mainland Tanzania — from the Swahili Coast and Usambara Mountains to Arusha, Kilimanjaro country, Ngorongoro, the Serengeti and Lake Victoria, before returning home to Zanzibar.
Return to your internship to see how your project works without you, make final improvements and hand it over properly. Your final weeks bring everything together through reflection, Diploma completion, graduation and one last celebration with your Academy crew.
Settle into island life, meet your placement team and quickly move from orientation into hands-on participation. Global Citizenship learning and cultural experiences help you understand the context behind your work as you begin identifying your Legacy Project.
Work alongside your placement partner to co-design, build and test a focused Legacy Project, while continuing your internship, Academy workshops, cultural experiences and Zanzibar Adventure Days.
Cross to mainland Tanzania for your signature overland adventure — travelling through historic Bagamoyo and the Usambara Mountains before reaching Arusha for northern Tanzania adventures and a two-day Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater safari.
Return to Zanzibar for your final placement week, refine and hand over your Legacy Project, complete your Global Citizenship learning and finish with graduation, goodbyes and one last celebration with your Academy crew.
Monday
Start the week with breakfast before heading to your internship placement, then spend the afternoon wrapping up placement activities, planning and enjoying some free time.
Tuesday
Start with optional morning yoga before heading to placement, followed by an afternoon Global Citizenship workshop exploring culture, ethics, sustainability and responsible global action.
Wednesday
Spend your morning at placement before switching into Tanzania mode with an afternoon of Swahili, cooking, art, music or another rotating cultural experience.
Thursday
Head to placement in the morning before an afternoon of personal growth, reflection and wellbeing, then switch off for Academy Social Night, drinks, games or Arusha nightlife.
Friday
Spend the morning at placement or developing your Legacy Project, then enjoy a free afternoon for cafés, the pool, markets, the gym or whatever you feel like doing.
Saturday
Saturdays are made for exploring, with Academy adventures taking you to waterfalls, coffee country, hot springs, cultural experiences, cycling trips and beyond.
Sunday
Sleep in, enjoy a slow breakfast and spend the day by the pool, exploring Arusha, grabbing brunch or simply recharging with your Academy crew.
For the next 6 or 12 weeks, this is more than somewhere you sleep — it’s home. Based in Paje on Zanzibar’s beautiful east coast, your Academy home is a secure, social tropical base with comfortable shared rooms, private bathrooms, Wi-Fi, 24/7 security, a large swimming pool, island-style restaurant, bar and plenty of spaces to relax, study or hang out with your Academy crew. You’ll be right in the heart of Paje, surrounded by local life, cafés, restaurants and shops, with the Indian Ocean just a few minutes away.
It’s also the heart of Academy life — workshops and cultural afternoons around the property, lazy hours by the pool, shared meals at the restaurant, movie and games nights, drinks at the bar, music, social nights and plenty of spontaneous plans with the people you’ll quickly call friends. After placement, island adventures or days exploring Zanzibar, you’ll always have somewhere familiar to come back to — your own little home on the island.
Subject to successful completion of the required academic components, you’ll work towards an accredited Level 3 Diploma in Global Citizenship in Global Health.
Alongside your qualification, you’ll build practical experience working within Tanzanian hospital settings, alongside local professionals and develop a collaborative Legacy Project, and strengthen the communication, teamwork, leadership and cross-cultural skills that can support your future study and career.
Work towards a Level 3 Diploma in Global Citizenship in Global Health, giving your international clinical experience a recognised educational outcome alongside your placement.
Gain first-hand experience within a Zanzibar hospital, learning alongside Tanzanian doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals across different clinical departments.
Build communication, adaptability, cultural awareness and professional confidence while learning to work responsibly across cultures and within unfamiliar healthcare environments.
Explore how disease, resources, culture and access to healthcare influence patient care, developing a broader understanding of health beyond your own healthcare system.
This program is designed for students, graduates and qualified participants in medicine, nursing, public health and other relevant healthcare fields. Your role is always matched to your education, experience and professional scope. Less experienced participants may focus more heavily on observation and learning, while appropriately qualified participants may assist more under local supervision.
You’ll learn alongside Tanzanian doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals within a local hospital. Depending on your background, supervision and current hospital activities, you may observe or appropriately assist across outpatient care, emergency and trauma, general medicine, surgery and other departments while learning how healthcare is delivered in Zanzibar.
Yes. Where appropriate, the internship is designed to expose you to different areas of Zanzibar’s healthcare system rather than one single department. Rotations depend on your background, hospital requirements, supervision and current needs, but may include outpatient care, emergency, general medicine, surgery and other available clinical departments.
During the first part of your internship, you'll focus on listening, learning and understanding what your placement actually needs. You'll then work collaboratively with your placement and Academy team to develop a practical project that can remain useful after you leave. This might relate to learning resources, classroom activities, educational programming, teacher support or another need identified by your placement. The project isn't predetermined - its based on what you find is most in need, and something tangible that can be used for long after you leave. Something centred around contributing to ideas, knowledge and education.
Ethical volunteering is about more than simply arriving and wanting to help. Healthcare and Global Development are complex, culturally sensitive and involve vulnerable people. That’s why your clinical placement is combined with Global Citizenship training exploring ethics, culture, power, sustainability and capacity building.
We believe ethical volunteering is 50% the project and 50% how you approach it. You’ll learn alongside local professionals rather than replacing them, understand the limits of your role and develop the cultural awareness needed to participate responsibly.
We also work with dedicated partners over the long term, and with a focus on capacity building & supporting education and awareness, we are able to make a culturally relevant and sustainable long term impact - rather than short term fixes.
You’ll live at our staffed, secure Academy home in Paje with 24/7 support, Wi-Fi, a pool, restaurant and bar. The beach, cafés, restaurants, shops and local community are nearby, giving you plenty of independence outside your program.
You’ll receive orientation covering transport, cultural customs, appropriate dress, nightlife and everyday safety. Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim, and learning to navigate local life respectfully is part of the experience itself.
Live, learn, intern and travel in Tanzania through immersive 6 and 12-week Academy experiences in Arusha and Zanzibar.
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