Internship – Violence Prevention for Peaceful and Inclusive Communities (VPPIC) Programme

Reports to:

Programme Manager
Duration:

6 months

 

BACKGROUND

The position is embedded within the Violence Prevention for Peaceful and Inclusive Communities (VPPIC) Programme, a German technical cooperation initiative emphasizing on early intervention, particularly in early childhood development (ECD) and caregiving environments within the violence prevention sector. The programme seeks to foster a multi-stakeholder and systemic approach to enhance the structural conditions necessary for evidence-informed, gender-relevant early violence prevention interventions across South Africa. Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) collaborates with the Department of Basic Education and further South African partners to implement the programme. The VPPIC works closely with the DBE, which is responsible for providing holistic support to ECD and school-based contexts, setting standards, and fostering partnerships with civil society and the private sector. Additional partners include the Department of Social Development, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, local government, and various multi-stakeholder and research networks active in violence prevention.
The programme focuses on early prevention to break intergenerational cycles of violence, particularly in caregiving environments for children, ECD, and school contexts, while exploring the intersections between violence against women and children. The gender-responsive early childhood crime and violence prevention objective will be achieved through three main outputs:
1) Localised implementation: aimed at the exemplary development of evidence-informed models to improve early prevention in care services for children aged 0 and 12 (target group) and their caregivers (parents, relatives, educators, social workers etc.) through a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable manner at the local level of municipalities or neighbourhoods,
2) Multi-stakeholder collaboration: to improve coordination between different ministries and civil society networks for gender-responsive, early prevention of violence, incorporating learnings from localised implementation at Output 1
3) Institutional Capacity Building: to strengthen the institutional capacities of state and civil society actors with responsibility for the early prevention of violence

 

  1. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Intern will support the VPPIC programme’s broader objectives by providing administrative, logistical, and communication support for meetings, events, and stakeholder engagements that promote early intervention for violence prevention. Working closely with the technical team, the Intern will provide support on the preparation of materials, documentation, and follow-up tasks that contribute to building strong partnerships and advancing prevention-focused initiatives. The Intern will also support implementation of activities that foster inclusive and peaceful communities across South Africa.

  1. SPECIFIC TASKS

Working as part of the technical VPPIC team, the role of the intern will be to support with the general administrative support and backstopping to implementation within the scope of the programme.

Responsibilities include:

Project Management Support:

  • Provide administrative and logistical assistance to the project team during the inception phase.
  • Contribute to the drafting and compilation of project and programme reports, including updates to the commissioning party.
  • Support the tracking and monitoring of project activities, deliverables, and milestones.

Technical Support:

  • Assist in the implementation of project activities under the guidance of technical advisors.
  • Provide logistical support for project-related events such as workshops, training sessions, and stakeholder meetings.

Communication Support:

  • Support the preparation and dissemination of internal and external communication materials, including newsletter articles and social media content.
  • Assist in managing the project’s digital presence and online platforms.
  • Contribute to the development of presentations, briefings, and other communication tools tailored for diverse stakeholder groups.
  • Participate in and support contributions to GIZ’s internal communication channels.

Project Launch Planning Support:

  • Assist in coordinating and organizing activities related to the planning and execution of the official project launch.
  • Support the preparation of materials, documentation, and logistical arrangements for the launch event.

Administrative Support:

  • Provide day-to-day administrative assistance including scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, and documenting minutes.
  • Support effective project documentation, including maintaining filing systems and records.
  • Assist in maintaining project documentation, filing, and record-keeping.

General obligations

The Intern is expected to fulfil the following general obligations:

  • Be familiar and up to date with GIZ planning, implementation and reporting procedures.
  • Be familiar with other VPPIC work packages, concepts and status of implementation and know the corresponding advisors and partners.
  • Always represent the interests of the GIZ and the VPPIC project in a professional manner, according to the GIZ corporate principles and VPPIC’s modes of working.
  • Carry out assigned tasks/assignments in the interest of both the VPPIC as well as the GIZ in general.
  • Form part of the VPPIC team and perform other duties and tasks in the interest of the programme, on the request of its management.

  1. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, COMPETENCES AND EXPERIENCE

Qualifications

  • Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Administration, Communications, Event Management or a related field.
  • Relevant coursework or experience in early childhood development, (gender-based) violence prevention, or social development is an advantage.

Professional Experience

  • Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  • Experience with social media management and content creation is a plus.
  • Demonstrated interest in violence prevention, early childhood development, and community engagement.
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a multicultural and multidisciplinary team environment.

Other Knowledge, Additional Competencies:

  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively within a culturally diverse environment.
  • Team player with efficient and result-oriented work ethics, strategic orientation and the ability to work independently.
  • Detail-oriented and proactive in problem-solving.
  • Committed to the values and mission of the VPPIC Project.
  • Enthusiastic and willing to learn new skills and take on new challenges.
  • Excellent writing and communication skills.
  • A very good knowledge of ICT technologies and computer applications
  • Self-driven, quick to learn and can-do attitude and willingness to participate creatively in ideas-sharing spaces.

  1. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • The position will be based at the GIZ offices in Hatfield, Pretoria. The willingness for business is expected.
  • The contract period for the position is six (6) months.
  • At GIZ, you will be offered global network and an atmosphere that is characterised by diversity, respect, and genuine equal opportunities. Gender equality promotion is a matter of course for us.
  • GIZ is a signatory of the Diversity Charter. Recognition, appreciation and inclusion of diversity in the company are important to us. All employees shall be valued - regardless of gender and gender identity, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, social background, age or sexual orientation.
  • GIZ would like to increase the proportion of employees with disability. Applications from persons with disabilities are most welcome.
  • The successful candidate will be expected to start full-time employment with GIZ on a fixed-term contract as soon as possible.

  1. APPLICATION PROCESS

Suitable candidates should apply for this position by submitting:

  • A motivation letter (max. 1 page) stating why they should be the preferred candidate, the value added they will bring to the project and their desired salary range.
  • This should be accompanied by a detailed CV and indicating their nationality.

Applications should be submitted to: recruit-pretoria@giz.de, with the email subject line “Application of Internship: Violence Prevention for Peaceful and Inclusive Communities” for the attention of Head of Human Resource.

Closing date for applications: April 18, 2025
Only shortlisted candidates will be informed.
Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.