Volunteer Leader

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Who are we?

SKIP works with communities living in poverty in the city of Trujillo, Peru. SKIP's primary aim is to enable children living in this area to realise their right to an education.

What Does a Volunteer Leader Do?

The Volunteer Coordination team takes care of what is arguably SKIP's most precious resource, our volunteers. Organising an ever changing team of volunteers is a huge challenge, Volunteer Leaders will:

• Settle volunteers into the programme

• Check on volunteer well being

• Motivate the team

• Maintain the volunteer house

• Help with volunteer recruitment

• Volunteer in the SKIP programmes 50% of the time

Volunteer Leaders spend 50% of their time in the Volunteer Coordination Team and 50% in the SKIP programmes working directly within the community. There are options to combine roles so it is possible to be engaged in both teaching children and also spend time in the Economic Development team. Click here to read more about our programmes

This role is perfect for someone with previous experience of volunteering who is looking to learn more about international development. We are looking for energetic, self-motivated, self-learners who are ready to take on a challenge and work hard.

Read what other volunteers have had to say about their experience as a Volunteer Leader in our Volunteer Blogs below.

" ....It is an experience on which no price can be put, an experience in which you will meet incredible people from all walks of life, an experience which will force you to question your own beliefs, to reassess your own priorities, to challenge your own boundaries and limitations, to inspire you to try new things and take on new paths of life, to teach and most importantly, to be taught. " ~ Krishan Shah

The benefits of collaborating with us

In return for your invaluable participation in our volunteering programme, SKIP will provide:

• Accommodation in the volunteer house

• A reference upon satisfactory completion of volunteer placement

• A thorough induction to the organisation, programmes, department and specific role

• Structured and relevant training from fully qualified and experienced staff members - you can read bios for all the permanent team here

• Mentoring and support in the form of regular supervision and staff meetings as well as informal sessions

• The chance to be a part of a diverse and dedicated team and a welcoming community

• An opportunity to gain experience in a grass roots organisation working directly in the community

• Work in a project with a known positive impact: Between 2010 and 2014, 14 % of SKIP families who were living in poverty improved their financial circumstances and crossed the poverty line.

Responsibilities

Responsibility will develop and increase over the course of the placement, as follows:

Month 1 Focus on training and induction for the Volunteer Leader.

We recommend new arrivals take language lessons if their skills are limited in English or Spanish. Training will be provided in:

• Child protection

• Cultural sensitivity

• Approaches to international development

• General introductions to the departments in SKIP.

In this first month volunteers will also focus on volunteering at the project site so they can familiarise themselves with the way SKIP works with families in order to be able to later explain that during the induction process for other volunteers. They will also be introduced to processes at the volunteer house and begin to take responsibility for some aspects of housing management (organising repairs, getting rooms ready for new volunteers, participating in house meetings, cleaning rotas etc).

Mon th 2-3 Continuing induction and addition of volunteer recruitment to responsibilities

As volunteers now become confident in how SKIP works both in terms of the support we provide for volunteers and in programme for the community we serve, they will take on more responsibility for volunteer recruitment. There are a number of key tasks;

• Advertising opportunities

• Answering questions from prospective volunteers

• General administration tasks such as reference requests and confirmation letters once volunteers have been selected.

• Planning team building sessions

• Supporting newly arrived volunteers via the "Buddy" system

Months 3-4 onwards Incorporation of main volunteer tasks, as detailed below

• Volunteer Induction

• Making and receiving Payments

• Facilitating volunteer feedback

In this phase volunteers are able to work more independently as they are able to answer questions about the organisation and provide training about our working practices. Volunteer Leaders will be involved in the induction process for newly arrived volunteers. Other administrative tasks are added such as making and receiving payments.

In particular, in this phase Volunteer Leaders will begin to help facilitate volunteer feedback, this could include helping to create content, blogs, video interviews, case studies and testimonials along with assessing feedback and using this to improve our processes for supporting volunteers.

Volunteer Profile

Required:

• Minimum intermediate level of Spanish AND English (there is one space in the team for someone with fluency in either Spanish OR English - email us for more for more details and to enquire about current vacancies)

• Degree in Education, International Development, Social Sciences, Communications, Management or related field, or 5 years experience working in a related field.

• Minimum commitment of 9 months

• Previous experience working in international volunteer organisations

• Flexibility

• Maturity

• Ability to work under pressure

• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds

Desired:

Fluency in Spanish and/or English.

If you are ready to take the next step, visit http://www.skipperu.org/volunteer/#Process