VSLA and Livelihood Officer

The Organization We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

· No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday · All children learn from a quality basic education and that, · Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information: Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/jobs We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

VSLA AND LIVELIHOOD OFFICER

Country/Region: Uganda, Country Office

Location: West Nile

Organization: Save the Children International

Join us to lead sustainable change for children:

• Be part of a GLOBAL and DIVERSE technical community
• Get EXPOSURE in many different contexts.
• Test and scale up INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
• Influence policies that affect MILLIONS OF CHILDREN

OVERVIEW

Are you passionate about being an advocate for children? Do you want to use your expertise to bring about lasting change for children and be a part of an inspiring, dynamic global movement?

The overall purpose of this position is to support the SBCC-CSSP project in the VSLA Model through the care group approach. The VSLA & livelihood Officer will work closely with the SBCC officer and directly under the guidance of the SBCC Coordinator and Project Manager and will be responsible for all capacity strengthening related activities: VSLA training, linkages with financial service providers (FSPs) and all the financial digital inclusion activities of the project.

Sounds interesting? Read more below.

THE ROLE

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Program Implementation

• Facilitate the formation and strengthening on VSLAs and integrating them in household support groups ensuring adherence to the VSLA methodology.
• Conduct regular field visits to provide technical support and guidance to Household Support groups inline with VSLA activities.
• Facilitate the formalization of VSLAs by collaborating with local authorities to register the VSLAs
• Foster strong relationships with community members, local leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure community ownership and sustainability of programs.
• Facilitate community meetings and discussions to identify needs, priorities, and opportunities for livelihood development.
• Work closely with the districts, adolescents and youth to identify and enroll eligible youth in vocational training courses.
• Work closely with the districts to collaborate with local businesses for internships and job placements.
• Coordinate the distribution of startup kits to trainees upon successful completion of training.
• Monitor trainees' progress and provide additional support as needed.
• Promote inclusive participation, particularly of women and marginalized groups, in all VSLA and livelihood activities.

Training and Capacity Building

• Organize and conduct training sessions for Household support group members on VSLA methodology, financial literacy, business skills, and income-generating activities.
• Build the capacity of community facilitators and local leaders to support implementation of VSLA interventions.
• Develop training materials and tools tailored to the specific needs of target communities.

Partnership and Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with district local government structures and other existing structures of the respective districts to align efforts.
• Represent the SCI in relevant forums, meetings, and networks related to VSLAs and livelihoods.
• Explore and develop partnerships that enhance the sustainability of activities.

To be a strong supporter and advocate for children in this role you will need to have:

• At least University degree or equivalent in economics, entrepreneurship, business administration, Finance, development studies or any other relevant field that provide an understanding of saving, banking and finance.
• A good knowledge of working with and through local existing structures i.e. community leaders, cultural leaders, youth/ women’s associations, etc.
• At least two years’ experience implementing banking, microfinance, cooperatives, income generation and/ or business projects with a reputable organization, institution or company.
• Experience working with refugees and vulnerable communities.
• Experience in working closely with local governments in implementation of projects; and in networking with other organizations implementing similar projects.
• Strong analytical skills and strategic planning abilities.
• Ability to establish and maintain conducive collegial relations and perform effectively as a member of a team.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in a multi-cultured environment with people from diverse beliefs and cultural backgrounds.
• Skills in implementation and use of behavioral change communication strategy to drive behavior adoption is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to train and mentor community structures on interpersonal communication (IPC) and participatory group facilitation skills and strategies is desired.
• Demonstrate ability to coordinate the implementation of SBC activities including behavior change campaigns, and community engagement.
• Fluent oral and strong analytical and written English communication skills is required.
• Demonstrates Save the Children’s core values of accountability, collaboration, integrity, ambition, and creativity.
• Willingness to be based at the duty station is a must.

Application Information:

Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at https://hcri.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Application closes on June 18, 2024.

Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best qualified talent, persons with disabilities and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: Save the Children International does not charge any kind of fee at whichever stage of the recruitment process and does not act through recruitment agents.

OUR DIVERSITY BELIEF

Save the Children International is committed to create a truly inclusive, effective, and representative organisational culture, encouraging equity and diversity among its employees and eliminating unlawful discrimination. We want our people to be truly representative of all sections of society. Having a diverse profile of employees, different age groups, backgrounds, cultures, & disabilities etc. We are guided by our values in everything we do and recognise that being a diverse and inclusive employer helps us fulfil our responsibility to make a difference for children around the world.