Start Date: Jun – Aug 2018 (flexible)
Length of Placement: 9 Months
Open to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada only
Due to funder restrictions, support for accompanying partners/dependents is not available for this placement.
The Volunteer’s Role
This is an exciting opportunity for you to contribute to a regional nutrition program led by CARE Canada!
CARE’s Southern African Nutrition Initiative (SANI) aims to improve the nutritional status of women of reproductive age and children under 5, while working with local health authorities and communities in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. Specifically, SANI is expected to contribute to the improved health of approximately 230,000 individuals directly, and over 345,000 individuals indirectly.
As Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Advisor, you will work closely with the SANI Zambia team to develop context-specific behaviour change and communication strategies related to nutrition norms to improve household nutrition practices. Your work will involve supporting staff to do community-based assessments, and developing behaviour change strategies with target groups to ensure that nutrition-focused education activities are designed with, and for, the community in which they will be implemented. This work will draw upon your experience using participatory appraisal tools and approaches, as well as supporting qualitative research to inform program interventions, preferably in rural, low-resource settings. You also have the skills and experience to work with staff to pull together a SBCC project-level strategy focused on improving Maternal, Infant and Young Child through context specific interventions.
As a volunteer, you will:
- Review baseline research report
- Develop draft SANI-specific MIYC SBCC strategy
- Support staff to conduct community-level nutrition analysis
- Collate assessment findings and pull together project-level analysis on nutrition status & norms for target communities
- Finalize and train colleagues on SBCC strategy and monitoring plan for community-based nutrition activities for Zambia using community nutrition reports
Essential Academic Qualifications
- Degree in public health or social sciences, or a related degree/experience relevant to the field of public health, with specific emphasis on health/nutrition communication, promotion and/or education.
Essential Professional Background
- Experience in developing social and behavior change communications (SBCC) strategies
- Experience designing behavioral interventions/SBCC messages and interventions towards health objectives;
- Use of epidemiological and other health-related data in SBCC program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation;
- Nutrition/health related qualitative research
Support Package
- Modest monthly living allowance (varies depending country)
- Accommodation while in placement
- Return airfare and visa/work permit costs
- Cost of required vaccinations, antimalarial medication and health insurance
- Pre-departure training and in-country orientation
- Travel and accommodation for reintegration debriefing weekend
- Access to Employee Assistance Program while in placement and upon return
- Cuso International assessment day (Candidates must cover the first $200 of the most cost-effective travel expenses and all accommodation costs).
- Travel and accommodation for the five-day pre-departure training course and for in-country orientation
- Bonus: Additional return flight home or cash in lieu after 12 months of service for volunteers who extend for another 6 months
Contact Information
Phone: 613-829-7445
Email: cuso.recruitment at cusointernational.org
