ASHIA agency is a Dutch based company, specialized in providing internship placements in Africa for students or volunteers. It was started in 2006 and since then we have had over 100 student volunteers and professionals take part in our placements. The majority of students who are members of ASHIA are from the Netherlands, however, students from the United states, Great Britain, Brussels and Italy have also taken part in our ASHIA placements. Placements are currently offered in Cameroon, a country situated in West Africa. The main spoken languages are French and English.

The benefits you will find with ASHIA are that we provide flexible placement opportunities and we are affordable. Not only can you experience as much as possible during your stay but also take time to travel and explore the beautiful and diverse culture Cameroon has to offer. There is possibility to combine certain placements. Compared to other similar organizations who offer placements in Africa, with ASHIA, you will be able to save money.

Before you engage in any placement, ASHIA hopes that you are aware of the time and dedication it takes to travel, engage and get accustomed to a different environment. Each volunteer is asked to provide a motivation letter or project proposal. With this, we can be sure of your commitment to your placement. The aim of promoting such internship placements is to create an environment where students, volunteers and the local community can benefit from each other’s experience and knowledge. ASHIA hopes that you will take part in this.

In January 2008, ASHIA collaborated with the International Federation of Medical Student Association (IFMSA) in the Netherlands. For all student’s that have received a placement through the IFMSA, ASHIA gives a discount on the registration and confirmation of a placement. Once you have been selected, you will be matched to a placement that suits your needs and/or skills.

ASHIA is also registered in Foumbot, Cameroon. The local head office is situated here. We have partners in 4 different locations of Cameroon such as Baigom, Foumbot, Bamenda, Akum and Foumban. A selection process ensures that placements meet certain criteria. Our goal is to ensure continuity in projects and development. We try to achieve this by first of all selecting placements that have the basic facilities to accommodate for students and secondly ensuring an environment to learn new cultures, ideas and tradition.

A placement can be found in one or more of the following towns or
villages in Cameroon: Baigom, Bamenda, Foumban and
Foumbot. Taking part in a voluntary placement abroad is time consuming and needs a certain amount of preperation. However, once you have located your placement and have fixed a date to start, the rest will involve getting the
appropriate visa, vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis and more. All
throughout your preparation, the ASHIA team will be there to assist
you. In order to find a placement with us, you need to follow these
three simple steps:

• Step 1 Read our placement opportunities.
• Before selecting a placement in Cameroon make sure you are able to answer the following questions: 'Am I able to cope in a new surrounding?' 'Do I have a specific goal to achieve during my placement?' 'Have I got the enough information to make a decision concerning the placement I would like to do?' If you answer yes to two or more of the above
  questions, you are a likely candidate for a placement with us in
  Cameroon.
• Step 2 Fill in the ASHIA registration form.
• The main goal of filling the registration form is not necessarily the date of arrival in Cameroon, but you should provide us with enough information to reserve a placement for you. Also this registration form gives you a better idea of how much your costs will be.
• Step 3 Be prepared.
• For those living in the Netherlands, there is an opportunity to take part in a Workshop held up to twice a year. The workshop provides a great opportunity to ask more questions, meet other volunteers who you might be travelling with and engage in some cultural interactive sessions. If you are not able to attend the workshop, once you have registered with ASHIA you will have access to volunteer blogs. This is the best way to get stories from students who have taken part in our ASHIA placement.