Volunteer with CMMB in Zambia

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Program Description

CMMB is an international NGO providing long-term, co-operative medical and development aid to communities affected by poverty and unequal access to healthcare. For over a century, CMMB has worked to strengthen and support communities through healthcare programs and initiatives, the distribution of medicines and medical supplies, and the placement of volunteers.

CMMB’s Volunteer Program addresses the critical need for professionals in areas that lack sufficient resources for quality preventive and curative health services, especially for women and children. Our Volunteer Program has placed thousands of practitioners around the world to help develop and implement community health interventions, work at local hospitals and health facilities, conduct clinical training for host country counterparts, and deliver essential medicines and supplies. The ultimate goal of CMMB's Volunteer Program is to support our country teams and local healthcare workers by sending volunteers that are dedicated to strengthening local health systems and supporting a pattern of sustainable development.

We believe in a world in which health and human dignity are shared by all.

We believe that access to quality healthcare is a basic human right. For more than 100 years, we have worked with global partners to deliver locally sustainable, quality healthcare solutions to women, children, and their communities. We’re ready to make it 100 more.

We believe change starts with her.

We work tirelessly for women’s and children’s health because they are disproportionately affected by illness and poverty. We know that healthy, educated, and empowered women are better able to raise healthy, educated, and confident children, and that communities depend on their livelihoods.

We believe in people.

We strive to live out our core values of collaboration, love, excellence, and respect every day. We provide our volunteers with a meaningful volunteer package, and the opportunities to learn, grow, and leave a longstanding legacy. We especially encourage all persons of diverse backgrounds to apply.

In 2018, CMMB:

• Assisted 74, 240 pregnant women
• Provided critical health and social services to 1,536,844 people
• Provided HIV services to 889, 155 people
• Provided critical health services to 206, 840 children
• Delivered medicines & medical supplies valued at $598 million to 34 countries

In 2018, CMMB Volunteer Program:

• Engaged 661 volunteers working in 17 countries
• Volunteers contributed 92,920 hours

About Zambia

CMMB has been working in Zambia since 1965. CMMB Zambia works with provincial and district health offices of the Ministry of Health in all 10 provinces and enjoys a close relationship with the Zambian Episcopal Conference and the Churches Health Association of Zambia, the umbrella organization of Zambia’s faith-based healthcare institutions.

Program areas include:

• CHAMPS
• Child protection, including support for orphans and vulnerable children
• Domestic and international volunteers
• Gender-based violence prevention
• HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission
• Neonatal asphyxia
• Prevention and control of malaria
• Voluntary medical male circumcision

In rural areas, where government services may be sparse, CMMB Zambia partners with traditional leadership, from paramount chiefs to village headmen. These individuals play a critical role in defining community norms, and are often revered members of local governance structures. Collaboration and cooperation are critical to project effectiveness and sustainability.

With support from USAID, CMMB works as a subpartner to Luapula Foundation, a local NGO, to strengthen district and community structures aimed at improving services for orphans and vulnerable children. Working in Copperbelt, Southern, Luapula, Central, and Lusaka provinces, CMMB Zambia works to mobilize and link communities to existing support structures and builds technical capacity.

CMMB is also implementing The Kusamala Project, a child protection project intended to reverse family, community, and system tolerance for harmful practices and build their capacity to provide stable, protective, nurturing family environments for children. Project support also includes community mobilization and advocacy.

Key Facts:

• Population : 16.4 million (Source: UN, 2015)
• Life Expectancy : 53 (Source: UN, 2010-2015)
• Maternal Mortality Rate : 224 per 100,000 (136th in the world) (Source: WHO, 2015)
• Under-5 Mortality Rate : 64 per 1,000 (163rd in the world) (Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, 2015)

Country Office: Mwandi, Zambia

• Mwandi, which means "plenty of fish," is a small Zambian village located in the country’s Western Province. While the nearby Zambezi River is a water source for those close to the village, Mwandi is extremely dry. Shallow wells are often salty and undrinkable. The community is challenged by a lack of safe water and access to health care.
• Learn More: http://cmmb.org/champs-community/mwandi-zambia/

Projects:

• Biomedical HIV Prevention Initiative
  • Leadership in the fight against HIV
  • Learn More: http://cmmb.org/project/biomedical-hiv-prevention-initiative-2/

• Community Mobilization for HIV Prevention
  • HIV prevention among the most vulnerable in Zambia
  • Learn More: http://cmmb.org/project/community-mobilization-for-hiv-prevention/

• Community Rising
  • Improving services for orphans and vulnerable children
  • Learn More: http://cmmb.org/project/community-rising/

• HIV Prevention Initiative
  • Community-level interventions aimed at reducing HIV transmission
  • Learn More: http://cmmb.org/project/zambia-led-hiv-prevention-initiative/

• Malaria Communities Program
  • Advocacy and resource mobilization for healthier lives
  • Learn More: http://cmmb.org/project/malaria-communities-program/

• Neonatal Resuscitation Program
  • Supporting the health of vulnerable newborns
  • http://cmmb.org/project/neonatal-resuscitation-program/

• The Kusamala Child Protection Program
  • Supporting children by supporting strong families
  • http://cmmb.org/project/the-kusumala-child-protection-project/

Current Zambia Volunteer Opportunities:

• https://cmmb.org/international-volunteer-opportunities-2/

  • General Surgeon

  • Nurse Practitioner

  • Nurse (RN or BSN)

  • Lab Technician/ X-Ray Technician/ Ultrasound Technician

  • Biomedical Specialist or IT Specialist

  • ENT-ER (MD)

  • Ophtalmologist

  • Occupational, Physical, Speech Therapists

  • Urologist(MD, Surgeon)

  • Pharmacist

  • MD -Pediatrician

  • MD - OB-GYN

  • Biomedical Specialis

• Program:

  • Public Health Professional, Generalist

  • Public Health Professional, MNCH Expert

  • Public Health Professional, WASH Expert

  • Public Health Professional, Nutrition

  • Supply chain manager

General Requirements and Qualifications

Specific requirements vary by location and position.

• All international volunteers must be at least 21 years old
• Medical professionals must have licensures in good standing
• Min. Bachelor’s degree (except for some US based internships)
• Familiarity and interest in global health issues, especially maternal and child health
• Ability to perform in resource-limited working conditions
• Ability to work collaboratively and professionally while navigating cultural and language barriers
• Ability to be flexible and prioritize projects and tasks effectively; self-starter; takes initiative
• Problem solver, able to identify needs, and develop solutions
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills
• Adaptable and flexible
• Proficiency in English; strong communication skills

Term:

6 - 12 Months

Expenses & Conditions:

Each international volunteer who serves 6 months or longer in the field receives a round-trip ticket to their placement site, housing, a monthly stipend, insurance coverage, storytelling and fundraising training, and the opportunity to contribute to vital community development initiatives for under-served populations while building a longstanding legacy for the community. Volunteers are required to share stories from the field and cover part of the cost of their placement through fundraising/contributions ($5,000).

Covid-19 Update: Due to Covid-19, CMMB has paused all field deployments until 2021 as the countries we serve respond to this pandemic, and we are able to ensure the health and safety of our incoming field volunteers. Nonetheless, our commitment to support these communities remains, and we are eagerly waiting to be able to assist with the aftermath of this crisis when international travel is possible and safe. For more information please visit:

https://cmmb.org/get-involved/volunteer/covid-19-resources/

Contact & Application:

Apply online at: https://cmmb.org/get-involved/volunteer/

Email: volunteer@cmmb.org

Phone: 212-242-7757