Self Help Africa (SHA) is an international NGO dedicated to the vision of an economically thriving and resilient rural Africa. We have 50 years of experience working with smallholder farmers, farmer associations, cooperatives and agribusinesses across Africa to help farmers grow and sell more food, improve diets, diversify incomes and make their livelihoods more sustainable and resilient to external shocks. SHA also builds awareness of issues affecting smallholders and represent their interests at policy and institutional level.

SHA is a core member of The Gorta Group which is composed of a group of innovative organizations driving sustainable economic and social change across Africa. Comprising Self Help Africa, Partner Africa and TruTrade, the Gorta Group combines expertise in market-based solutions to poverty and rural development; climate change mitigation and resilience; trade facilitation and farmer and worker rights; underpinned by an inclusive ethos that specifically targets women and youth.  In August 2021, United Purpose joined the Gorta Group, which operates as Self Help Africa (SHA), bringing together two organizations with proud histories of assisting those in greatest need. United Purpose, formerly Concern Universal, has worked for more than 40 years as a leader in community-led development and grassroots innovation. SHA now has over 700 staff worldwide, as a result of the merger, and a global turnover of over €40m. We are currently implementing a portfolio of 80 projects in Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia funded by a variety of institutional and private donors including the European Union, Irish Aid and World Food Programme. In 2020, we supported close to eight million people in rural communities across sub-Saharan Africa, Brazil and Bangladesh.

Project Overview:

Self Help Africa, with funding from the Glimmer of Hope is currently implementing a five (5) year project aiming to improve the sustainable livelihoods and to increase the resilience of poor people in 13 kebeles of Oda Bultum district, Oromia, Ethiopia.

The project has been designed as part of A Glimmer of Hope’s Oda Bultum Integrated Community Development Program (Oda Bultum ICDP) and aims to alleviate deep rooted poverty through a holistic development approach (across multiple sectors) to address the specific development needs of rural communities in Oda Bultum.  The aim of the livelihood component of the ICDP program is to increase the food, nutrition and income security of 19,000 smallholder households (male and female headed) in Oda Bultum.

Job Purpose:

The Health and Nutrition Project Officer will work under the OB ICDP project being implemented in Oda Bultum Woreda to:

• Support Nutrition and WASH project activity planning for implementation together with the project partners and project team in consultations with project manager and Nutrition and Gender advisor
• Support implementation of Nutrition and Gender capacity building /TOT and cascade trainings in the project area in liaison with the Gender and Nutrition advisor and project manager
• Day to day activities will include capacity building of health and agriculture extension workers and mother to mother support groups with nutrition /IYCF-NSA/   TOT trainings and maternal health/nutrition in particular
• Cascade nutrition / IYCF-NSA/ trainings to lead farmers together with the health and agriculture extension workers
• Partake in cooking demonstration sessions and other practical activities to embed nutrition and WASH within the community
• Disseminate training materials on nutrition and gender to target groups
• When required, support field assessments and research activities including data collection and compilation of case studies specific to nutrition, gender and WASH aspects for the project.
• Establish and facilitate training to beneficiary at community, education and health facilities/ institutions.
• Support and promote target selection and lead community dialogue sessions.
• Roll out training on the Family Life Model and adopting a gender transformative approach with beneficiaries
• Follow up on partners and trainers to ensure Nutrition and Gender training reports are submitted to SHA through the project Manager and Nutrition and Gender advisor.
• Facilitate and assist the timely submission of regular reports (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual) or special reports as deemed necessary.
• Responsible for hygiene and sanitation promotion works in collaboration with the nutrition/gender training/capacity building
• Collaborate with relevant Oda Bultum Woreda stakeholders as necessary including representing SHA in the WASH, Nutrition and Gender working groups and meetings.
• Support other activities as requested.

Key Relationships

Internal

• Head of Program
• Nutrition and Gender advisor
• Project Manager
• Agriculture Officer
• M & E Officer

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Degree in health science, community nutrition and dietetics, rural development and family science or related fields
• At least 2 years’ experience in practice on Nutrition, gender mainstreaming and community WASH programming
• Experience working collaboratively in a team structure in a multicultural environment is desirable.
• Experience working in ASAL areas and resilience projects an added advantage.
• Experience working with partners desired
• He/ she should demonstrate motivated participation in the learning process.
• Knowledge on community WASH programming is an added advantage.

Qualifications/Other Requirements:

• Ability to maintain high standards of personal integrity; establishing straightforward, productive relationships; treating all individuals with fairness and respect, demonstrating sensitivity for ethnic, cultural and gender differences.
• Demonstrated proficiency in computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, database, email and utilization of the internet.
• Ability to initiate and manage change and to recognize and adjust to rapidly changing conditions / environments.
• Communication skills – effective communication is key in this role.
• Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written English
• Very good level of spoken and written Oromifa is preferable