Please note: the availability of each position will be confirmed at the beginning of every semester. 

If you are interested in beginning a conversation about our Internship Program before your arrival in Rome, feel free to contact us: 

Elena Fossà - elena.fossa@trincoll.edu  

Flavia Alfano - flavia.alfano@trincoll.edu

WEBSITE: https://www.hummustown.com/about-us/

Hummustown is a cooperative run and managed by its members. Its mission statement upon inception was to provide a decent income-generating income for the influx of Syrian refugees seeking asylum in Italy. It is a non profit organization, where profit, if and when it is generated, is reinvested in the running of the cooperative.

As the number of Syrian refugees increased over the years, Hummustown adapted its mission statement to support other vulnerable communities, including refugees from countries other than Syria, victims of domestic abuse and violence of all backgrounds, and economically marginalized Italians who have suffered the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many individuals support Hummustown philanthropically, including individuals working for other international organizations in Rome, Hummustown is an independent organization not affiliated in any way with any other organization.

The Hummustown family is continuously striving to attract new customers to try their different specialities, which not only include Syrian but also Italian and therefore a Fusion of delicious combinations of dishes. Hopefully you will all have the curiosity to try Hummustown’s different specialities.

Interns at Hummustown should take care of the following tasks: 

• Support the Hummustown Kiosk in all its aspects - watering, cleaning, tidying, serving

• Draft and share the HT weekly newsletter

• Write one short article per week - topic can be of your choice and has to revolve around the mission of Hummustown (Refugees, current scenario of the refugee crises, how is HT trying to combat the pandemic etc)

• Your articles will feed into the different Social Mediums HT has (FB, Instagram and LinkedIn)

• Develop Video/Photo material which portrays the “New” mission of Hummustown; namely; The Social Value of women cooking as a means to support their households; and the Integration of Romans in the labor force of the Cooperative.

• Engage in sharing your work with your network to raise awareness on what Hummustown is trying to achieve

Requirements:

• Intermediate level of Italian;

• Punctuality;

• Reliability;

• Good teamwork skills;

• Pro-active attitude.

"As an intern for Hummustown, I work in a variety of positions. Most of my time is spent at the bistro helping with lunch and dinner. I would set up the tables for the mealtimes, help cook and package the orders, and take orders for customers. While doing this, I would take pictures and videos for the company's social media. During other times, I helped in the restaurant with an event. I served drinks, food and cleared plates. I also handed out flyers in front of the FAO building that let people know that Hummustown was inside. I completed some virtual work with creating flyers, menus and newsletters for Hummustown advertisements. 

I had a good communication with the workers. The level of communication between me and Shaza was not really existent at the beginning. I struggled with having tasks to do as I wasn't given much. I learned that internship culture is different in Italy. Interns need to show interest to show that they want work to do. By just completing tasks and sending them to her, she saw my interest and gave me more work to do. 

Through working at the bistro, I'm able to create relationships with the refugees that work there. It is interesting being able to hear about their lives and connect with them. I really enjoyed my experience and feel like I learned a lot from it."

(J.D., Fall 2024)

"Hummustown is a non profit that allows Syrian and other refugees to make food and make a decent income.

I was able to learn how to make various kinds of Syrian foods and interact with the refugees that work with me. Further, I was able to hear their stories and interact with customers at the kiosk. I had a great level of communication with my tutor and he was very helpful introducing me to everyone. 

At the kitchen it can get quite hectic so don't take offense if they make you take a step back for a few moments. It can also get quite slow, so take this opportunity to get to know the people you are working with better! Same thing for the kiosk so once again take this time to talk and have a good time.

Most of all enjoy this experience as you are able to learn how to cook Syrian food from refugees themselves and hear their stories."

(L.I., Fall 2023)

Hummustwon Kiosk -> Viale Luigi Einaudi, 00185 Roma RM