Volunteer Ambassador in West Africa

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Street Child is calling for individuals hoping to gain valuable experience in the development sector by undertaking a volunteer Ambassador placement in Sierra Leone or Liberia. This placement is a unique opportunity to make a critical contribution to an organization that is setting up and scaling its efforts to enable out-of-school children in these Ebola-devastated countries to access a meaningful education.

Street Child offers placements for anywhere between two to twelve weeks, supporting our local field work and the work of our partner organizations. Working alongside the Street Child of Sierra Leone or Liberia teams, key responsibilities will include:

• Supporting the Street Child team or partner organizations to develop information for a range of stakeholders including government agencies, UNICEF, donors and funders, etc.
• Supporting the Street Child team or partner organizations to conduct research or analysis for projects
• Supporting the Street Child team or partner organizations to implement activities such as community surveys, school construction, etc.
• Conducting independent visits to project sites to acquire progress reports for current projects
• Supporting the Street Child team to liaise between existing and new partners and stakeholders
• Capacity-building local teams with your professional expertise

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to learn about the development sector through an immersive experience, and to make a lasting contribution to the organization, and our aim to offer educational access to out-of-school children all over the world.

Qualifications

• Strong academic record
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Professional and diligent in presentation and conduct
• Independent and capable of proactive work plan management with minimal support
• Flexible, adaptable and able to thrive in a start-up environment
• Thoughtful, resourceful, reflective, and eager to learn
• Culturally responsive and respectful
• Keen interest in understanding and contributing to the development sector

About the organization

Street Child started in 2008, with one location, 100 children and 4 social workers, in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Since then Street Child has become a dynamic non-profit with an immense reach in Sierra Leone and Liberia, helping thousands of children find a more positive life away from the streets and creating educational opportunities for almost 50,000 children. During the Ebola crisis, Street Child supported close to 20,000 orphans with humanitarian aid and rehoming support. By empowering children by giving them the chance to go to school - and giving their families the income generation opportunities to help keep them there - Street Child is one of the most impactful charities working in our regions.

Street Child has also expanded our operations to Nepal, in an attempt to serve increasing numbers of children in need. Nepal is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, ranked 77th out of 90 developing countries in the 2001 World Poverty Index. Government estimates suggest that 19.6 percent of children are out of school, though independent reports claim that between 30 and 40 percent of children are out of school. Of those enrolled in formal schools, it is estimated that nearly 50 percent drop out before completing basic education.

Terms of the role

The successful applicant must be prepared to live and work in austere conditions when required, and to travel independently to urban, rural and remote project sites. The applicant must be able to manage his or her work plan and report regularly to the team on progress, and will be considered a valued member of the team.

A fundraising commitment of $1,500 will be required of the successful applicant, for which support will be provided by Street Child. Flights, food, and accommodation are at the applicant's own expense. Accommodation will be provided by Street Child at a fixed cost, and may require sharing rooms with another Ambassador. A detailed breakdown of costs and expenses will be provided for those applicants selected for interview.

Whilst this is initially a voluntary role, for applicants with relevant experience who have the ability to add strategic value, there is potential to attain a more permanent position with the organization.