Volunteer in Mali with MHOP!

(Mali Health Organizing Project)  

CALL FOR IN-COUNTRY COORDINATORS

MHOP is seeking 2 yearlong onsite coordinators to start in the late summer or early fall of 2010. Our coordinators are our partners, and they have a great deal of responsibility for our projects. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until April 22nd 2010, and application forms can be downloaded by clicking HERE. Descriptions of the two positions, Community Health Workers Coordinator and Community Organizing Coordinator are provide below. Please note that a high level of French proficiency or fluency is a key prerequisite for both positions, and past experience in Mali is a strong plus.

Strong candidates will have:

A strong grasp of the French language (both written and spoken)

Past experience with grassroots health and/or community organizing programs

A college degree (exceptional current students interested in time off may be considered)

Past experience working in developing countries

An interest in immersing themselves in Malian culture and community development

A strong capacity to take initiative, problem-solve, and remain flexible in a challenging work environment

A dedication to working with a cross-cultural team of Americans and Malians

Demonstrated social entrepreneurship experience

Due to the grass-roots nature and small size of our organization, MHOP cannot afford to provide a salary, stipend, or cover expenses (except housing) for its volunteers.  Work related expenses such as transportation to meetings, photocopies, and work-related phone use will be covered by MHOP.  MHOP will assist selected coordinators in applying for grants, fellowships, and individual donations to cover personal expenses. Round-trip airfare is generally about $1800 from JFK in New York to Bamako.  Living expenses are roughly $10/day (though one can live on much more or much less depending on the degree of comfort one desires). Vaccination and health costs vary depending on insurance and past vaccinations, but they can be expensive. Emergency evacuation insurance is required, as is malaria prophylaxis.

MHOP will arrange a home-stay for coordinators. Conditions are rustic, but that coordinators will have electricity and access to piped (although not running) water. MHOP staff will be available to provide advice and written resources on working and living in Mali. Upon arrival, coordinators will receive on-site training from current staff. Past volunteers have also left various households items in Mali (e.g. fans, mattresses, furnishings, books, medical supplies) that future volunteers are welcome to use to minimize costs.

We are a grassroots organization founded on the dedication of volunteers, and we expect a lot from our coordinators. Coordinators have a chance to genuinely engage and impact a community, and change the future of our not-for-profit organization. Please do not hesitate to contact anna@malihealth.org with questions.

Community Health Workers Coordinator

Launched in early 2010, our Action for Health program provides free primary healthcare for 400 children under age 5. Children are visited twice monthly by Community Health Workers who monitor growth and vital signs, and accompany children to a local clinic when necessary. In conjunction with the organization FrontlineSMS:Medic, Community Health Workers use SMS to relay data on child health to a central computer system at the local clinic, where the information is monitored by a doctor. In exchange for enrollment in the program, families participate in community action fees, like cleaning up trash, participating in health association elections, and volunteering in a recycling center. The action fees are designed to generate social and economic benefit in the community.

The Community Health Workers Coordinator will:

Oversee the daily functions of the program and serve as the primary contact for Community Health Workers and clinic staff.

Lead grant-writing and in-country development efforts to secure program funding.

Work closely with the coordinator of the SMS/Electronic Medical Records program, which will manage health data that the Community Health Workers send by text message to the clinic.

Trouble-shoot day-to-day challenges that arise in the program, such as equipment breakdowns, miscommunications between staff, etc.

Provide one-on-one organizational support for the Community Health Workers at weekly meetings.

Design and implement a strong program evaluation plan, with the aim of publishing program outcomes in an academic journal and producing a final report for other Mali-based NGOs, including multiple community surveys.

Develop and maintain relationships with MHOP partners (other NGOs, the Ministry of Health, local associations, etc.) who are interested in replicating, advising, and expanding on the program.

Work with ANTIM (Association National de Telemedicine et Informatique Medicale) at the Ministry of Health to expand the use of FrontlineSMS:Medic electronic medical records systems in Mali.

Expand the program to include additional children, if funds are available.

Design and supervise existing and new action fees in conjunction with the Community Health Workers.

Preferred Background (in addition to generalized qualifications listed above):

Experience in social service program design and evaluation.

Experience in grant writing and development.

Experience in survey implementation and methodology.

Educational/professional experience in a health-related field.

Community Organizing and Research Coordinator

The Community Organizing Coordinator will facilitate the community-building aspects of multiple programs. His or her goal will be to foster greater participatory engagement in our programs, oversee community-based participatory evaluations of our programs, and assist in strategic planning for the sustainability of our programs.

As a community-based organization, MHOP strives to train, develop, and support community leaders in overseeing their own health programs. Ultimately we aim to become obsolete, leaving our community partners to run our programs. However, we often face challenges in fostering genuine participatory development. The role of the coordinator will be to introduce a stronger degree of sustainability, community involvement, and civic engagement in our programs.

The Community Organizing Coordinator will work with the following programs (although these are subject to change with program developments):

Community Health Action Group: The Community Health Action Group (which we refer to as the CHAG) is a twelve-person committee of local leaders. The CHAG aims to serve as the backbone of MHOP by designing, implementing, and evaluating our community health outreach programs. The Community Organizing Coordinator will research programs and best practices in community leadership that are similar to ours, and work with our Malian staff to design and lead CHAG trainings. The Community Organizing Coordinator will lead an initiative to revise the CHAG program, looking at ways in which to make the program more sustainable and supportive of community initiatives.

Evaluation: The Coordinator will work with the MHOP staff that lead the our Literacy, Microfinance, and Radio programs to design and carry out community-based participatory evaluations of each individual program. The Coordinator will also work on an overall evaluation of the impact of MHOP in the community and provide constructive feedback for improving the operations of MHOP as a cross-cultural initiative.

Strategic Planning: The Coordinator will work with the Director and Programs Managers to research and design a strategic plan for our development and expansion by conducting academic research, examining similar organizations, conducting interviews with local residents and civil society and government partners, and leading discussions with MHOP staff and volunteers. The plan will outline our goals and anticipated outcomes for the coming five years, will focus on identifying and improving upon our current strengths and weaknesses, and will evaluate options for the future of the organization.

Development: MHOP depends heavily on grants to fund our programs. All of our staff are involved in the development process, and the Community Organizing Coordinator will work with the Director to lead grant research and writing for MHOP programs.

Preferred Background (in addition to generalized qualifications listed above):

Experience in community organizing, social entrepreneurship, facilitation, and/or participatory education amongst socially excluded populations.

Experience in strategic planning and/or program design.

Experience in cross-cultural workspaces and programs.

Experience conducting or designing evaluations for programs.

Experience in leadership and group mediation.

Experience in grant writing and research.