Health Assistant Community Mobilization at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) – 2 Openings Full Time

Job Title: Health Assistant Community Mobilization

Requisition ID: req41332
Locations: Gusau and Anka – Zamfara
Sector: Health
Employment Category: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Job Description

• The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster.
• At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

Contextual Background

• The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In February 2014 the IRC moved into Adamawa State in NE Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict affected populations.
• IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja and field offices in Mubi and Yola of Adamawa State, Maiduguri and Monguno of Borno state and Damaturu of Yobe State. In 2022, the IRC began operations in Northwest Nigeria and intend to open a new office in katsina city, Katsina state to oversee the Northwest program.
• Currently, IRC Nigeria implements programs primary health care, nutrition, environmental health, women’s protection and empowerment, protection, child protection, education, food security & livelihoods.

Project Overview

• The BHA (Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance) project, “Integrated Emergency Response to the Displaced Population in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina States, Northwest Nigeria” depending on fund availability will be carried out by a consortium led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in collaboration with the Alliance for International Medical Action (Alima), Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI), and Life Helpers Initiative (LHI), aims to leverage each partner’s expertise to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to internally displaced people populations through area-based approach.
• The Consortium partners will provide an integrated multisectoral intervention in Health, Nutrition, WASH, Protection, and Multi-purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) activities in Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto states in collaboration with state governments, UN organizations and other key actors in Northwest Nigeria.
• The project will be implemented by a dedicated support, quality assurance, and coordination team, who will work closely with all partners through a management unit of well-structured consortium governance for the activity.

Job Overview / Summary

• The community Mobilization assistant’s is responsible the implementation of Health educational and promotional activities as well as conducting all community awareness / mobilization activities related to Health and Reproductive Health (RH) for women, girls, men and boys in Gusau and Anka Zamfara State.
• He/ she will supervise a network of CHIPs agents, community volunteers and traditional birth attendants and work closely with the other members of the reproductive health and GBV team. Design and lead efforts to improve community awareness and acceptance of health services. Implement community mobilization efforts to improve women, girls, men and boys’ access to and use of reproductive health services.
• The community Mobilization assistant report to the health officer.

Major Responsibilities
Program Management, Technical Quality, and Strategy
Health program community Mobilization:

• Liaise with community leaders and other members of targeted communities in identifying and or recruitment of community volunteers and existing community groups interested in health and nutrition activities.
• Organize culturally sensitive educational and promotional activities to raise awareness on RH topics/services, including Family Planning, Mother and Neonatal health, Antenatal Care, and Postnatal Care, Awareness of STIs and infection prevention, and Referral.
• Provide guidance for survivors of sexual assault to ensure the safe and confidential referral of identified survivors of sexual assault to GBV services.
• Conduct regular focus group discussions to identify existing barriers to uptake of services and develop communication strategies to overcome these barriers.
• Support community sensitization activities at the clinics and in the communities by community volunteers and other groups.
• Identify and provide tools and IEC materials to assist in dissemination of information.
• Organize meetings with community representatives, and target groups as needed.
• Engage community leaders, stake holders and influential members of the community in creating awareness and community support for improved uptake of Sexual and Reproductive Health services.
• Supervise community volunteers and traditional birth attendants during planned community activities.
• Supervise and coordinate immunization defaulter tracing activities in the community.

Program Development / Grant Management:

• Contribute to the development of a variety of health education materials and tools to fit the context.
• Prepare weekly workplans and ensure timely implementation of the project activities.
• Prepare activity reporting formats and collect weekly activity reports from community volunteers.
• Compile and maintain monthly activity report for submission to the health officer.
• As community sensitization team lead, maintain vigilance and monitor surroundings for security of the mobile team on site and adhere to IRC’s safety and security protocols.
• Coordinate and support community-based disease surveillance activities, reports and referrals.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development:

• Required for all positions with supervisory responsibility, if special considerations are needed (e.g. remote management), make this additive to the base language here.
• Participate in the recruitment of community health volunteers, traditional birth attendants, Peer educators and Men champions.
• Supervise and monitor CHIPS agents, Community health volunteers, TBA, MtMSG etc. activities in the community.
• Develop and conduct training for the community volunteers/groups on positive health practices, RH topics/service promotion, hygiene promotion, waste management, infection prevention, safe motherhood, infant and young child feeding practices, general child care and hygiene promotion.
•  Participate in the development and translation of all messages in the most appropriate language.

Research, Learning and Analysis:

• Monitoring health program implementation:
• Play key role in the community Monitoring of disease morbidity and mortality trends together with all the other health indicators to ensure that prompt actions are taken.
• Monitor and promote integrated programming in a way that increases overall impact of health program at the community level.

Coordination & Representation:

• Participate in community workshops, meetings, or any discussions on reproductive health.
• Identify advocacy concerns, Initiate, and coordinate advocacy actions.
• Attend all relevant meetings in relation to the health program as may be required and feed in the IRC priorities during meetings.
• Facilitate field visits for internal and external stakeholders, when required.

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to: Health officer
• Indirect/Technical Reporting:  Senior Health officer,  Health Manager, Consortium Management Team, Health Coordinator.
• Position directly Supervises: CHIPS, CHVs MtMSG, TBA,
• Key Internal Contacts:Country Program:  Snr RH Manager, Snr Health Manager, Health coordinator, finance officer, Senior Area Manager, DDFM
• Key External Contacts: INGO Partner in Gusau and Anka

Qualifications
Education:

• Degree in Health Education or Social Sciences
• A mature person of high professional discipline and moral integrity, able to work under stress as the situation may dictate.
• Certificate in public health or nutrition is an added advantage.

Work Experience:

• Two to three years’ experience in community mobilization, education, social services, or public health.
• Proven experience in community-based programming with the ability to motivate and lead community volunteers.
• Good communication skills!
• Ability to work independently, be self-driven and proactive as well as creative in engaging with communities and volunteers.
• Ability to work with displaced communities with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Experience in working in a team and able to lead a team.
• Flexible to travel and work in different locations.
• The ability to speak local languages will be an added advantage.

Language Skills:

• English, working knowledge of Hausa and Fulani preferred.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.