Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) specialist : Volunteer in Peru

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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 2016, CMMB:

• Assisted 57,282 pregnant women
• Provided health services to 541,575 people
• Placed 686 volunteers in 18 countries
• Trained 2,741 health workers
• Provided critical health services to 171,337 children
• Delivered medicines & medical supplies valued at $359million

About Peru

Peru’s recent economic growth hides unjust social inequalities. Development has by‐passed the remote rural regions and chronic malnutrition among children is common. These factors are driven by food insecurities, poverty and inaccessibility to health services. CMMB Peru’s project activities are committed to further reducing malnutrition, anemia, and other determinants of maternal and child morbidity.

CMMB Peru health projects focus on improving the health and nutrition of women, children, and their communities in underserved and marginalized areas including:

• Distrito Macate, Provincia del Santa, Region Ancash
• Distrito de Chilca, Provincia de Huancayo, Region Junín
• Distrito La Esperanza, Provincia de Trujillo, Region La Libertad

The CHAMPS model, a strategic initiative, is utilized to meet this goal. This model is composed of three main objectives:

• Improving quality and access to healthcare
• Improving health conditions: water, sanitation, and nutrition
• Promoting economic development

CMMB Peru meets these objectives through the implementation of different projects and activities, including:

• The First 1,000 Days Project
  • Health and nutrition for children under five, and pregnant women
  • WASH - water, sanitation and hygiene
  • Animal husbandry programs to promote economic self-sufficiency
• Support from Bon Secour Sisters and domestic and international volunteers
• Rehabilitation for children with disabilities

The First 1000 Days Project trains health professionals and community health workers, advises parents on child and family health and nutrition, promotes safe water and sanitation practices, and provides nutritional supplementation to underweight and malnourished children. The project also supports and addresses barriers to economic self‐sufficiency through animal husbandry projects using locally appropriate livestock including guinea pigs, ducks, and quail eggs.

CHAMPS Peru complements existing community-based programs designed to improve maternal and child health. The initiative will expand on and diversify existing interventions to focus on integrated management of neonatal and child illnesses and prevention and screening for cervical cancer and diabetes, with greater coordination among local social actors.

Key Facts

• Population : 31,377,000 (Source: UN, 2015)
• Life Expectancy : 74 (Source: UN, 2010-2015)
• Maternal Mortality Rate : 68 per 100,000 (100th in the world) (Source: WHO, 2015)
• Under-5 Mortality Rate : 17 per 1,000 (96th in the world) (Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, 2015)

Country Offices: Huancayo & Trujillo, Peru

• Learn More About Huancayo: https://cmmb.org/champs-community/huancayo-peru/
• Learn More About Trujillo: https://cmmb.org/champs-community/trujillo-peru/

Job Summary

General description/Background:

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialists support the implementation of WASH projects by working with the community health workers with the aim of reducing health risks for affected populations in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene. The WASH Specialist is both expected to be able to give specialized technical support, conduct situational analyses in the field and take sectorial leadership. Furthermore, education of both affected or displaced populations and staff will be critical.

The professional must have experience in resources sustainable management, Solid Waste Management and implementation of eco-toilets.

General Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop tailored sanitation and hygiene strategies and marketing approaches to improve demand and supply for improved sanitation and hygiene products and services based on a regional context.
• Ensure regional level WASH activities are performed, implemented and expanded with consistent approaches and quality, in accordance with national and global policies and best practices.
• Ensure that effective engagement is maintained with communities and with local government partners, to ensure responsive and sustainable programming.
• Review technical documents and other deliverables to ensure alignment with overall project strategy.
• Develop or review relevant guidelines, materials, trainings, job aids and tools to ensure the technical strategies are reflected accurately.
• Advise on and monitor technical quality of deliverables associated with sustained water and sanitation services and adoption of key hygiene behaviors.
• Advise partners on all technical aspects of WASH activities implementation, ensuring a unified and effective approach to achieving project milestones.
• Identify and collate evidence base of promising practices and support dissemination workshops to improve existing practices and introduce new practices and/or ideas among partners and key stakeholders.
• Provides technical assistance to develop and implement communication strategies and materials, through all phases from formative research, through design, media and materials production, community mobilization and evaluation.
• Participate in relevant technical working groups and forums at the national, regional and global level.
• Volunteer should be comfortable with performing a range of tasks outside of their SOW, when needed.
• Other duties as requested by supervisor and/or CMMB staff.

Required Skills/Experience

• Must be 21 years old

• Bachelor's degree or higher in:
  • Environmental Science, Hydrology or Environmental, Civil, Water Resources, Irrigation, Sanitary or Mechanical Engineering, Public Health or a related field associated with water supply, sanitation and hygiene behavior change.
• Preference for experience in:
  • One year of experience in health care environment or community involvement, in developing countries
  • Implementing community water system facility development, including multiple water use services
  • Implementing Community Led Total Sanitation and hygiene programming and training staff
  • Development of behavior change materials
  • Sanitation marketing

• Good interpersonal skills and ability to develop relationships and collaborate with local community members
• Demonstrated strong technical programming skills.
• Knowledge of professional and ethical standard of public health practice
• Ability and willingness to provide guidance to staff members
• Familiarity and interested in global health issues, especially maternal and child health issues
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills; strong problem-solving skills
• Ability to be flexible and prioritize projects and tasks effectively; self-starter; takes initiative
• Problem solver, able to identify needs, and develop solutions
• Computer skills in Word, Excel, and other Microsoft Office tools.
• Willingness to endure resource-limited working conditions and evening/weekend hours
• Proficiency in English; strong communication skills
• Spanish fluency required for Peru

Interested? Apply today!

Contact & Application:

To Apply: Submit an application online at www.cmmb.org/volunteer.

Contact: Email us at volunteer@cmmb.org.