MARKETING INTERN - Lilongwe Wildlife Trust
Are you a passionate marketeer looking to make a difference? Are you looking for a career break or perhaps a recent graduate with a stand-out CV? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone who is not only looking for experience in marketing but also wants to put their heart and soul into a project and leave their mark. The ideal candidate will be outgoing, hardworking, flexible, able to work autonomously as well as in a team, always striving to go that extra mile, full of energy, commercial, organised, great with detail, happy to get their hands dirty, cope well under stress, be sociable and a great networker...we don't ask for much! You'll be an integral member of the team working on both international and local marketing initiatives including events, campaigns, PR, website build, donor relations, volunteer recruitment and education outreach. This is a full time role requiring serious commitment but we work hard and play hard and there will be plenty of time to explore the country, go on safari and spend the odd weekend at the lake. If this appeals to you then please read below for more on the project and how to apply.
About Lilongwe Wildlife Trust
Malawi is known as the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’ for its beautiful landscapes, lake of stars and friendly, happy people. But it is also the 6th poorest country in the world, with most people living off less than $2 per day which often does not meet their minimum food requirements. There’s a high population density, putting huge pressure on natural resources like the forests, since most people rely on firewood to cook their food. As a result Malawi itself has the world’s 5th highest rate of deforestation and this leads to all sorts of problems like soil erosion, desertification and climate change.
The good news is that a lot can be done to help people to live in harmony with the environment, and as habitats are restored, people can earn an income from their new sustainable living practices and wildlife - from birds, bees and butterflies to monkeys, lions and elephants - will have more chance of survival. We have won awards for our work, including a Responsible Tourism Award for ‘Best Organisation for Conservation of Habitats and Wildlife’ in 2011, and we achieved PAW accreditation from the Born Free Foundation in 2012.
Lilongwe Wildlife Trust aims to help the people and wildlife of Malawi through:
1) Wildlife rescue & rehabilitation: we are Malawi’s only wildlife sanctuary and have 255 animals in resident at the moment, the majority of whom we aim to release back into the wild where they belong. Those that can never be released, for example, our one eyed lion Bella, are kept in huge enclosures and given the highest standard of life as possible. We are backed by the major wildlife charities including Born Free Foundation, Tusk Trust and Stichting AAP and we are a member of the Species Survival Network.
2) Habitat conservation: very few capital cities can boast such a large and stunning wilderness reserve right at their heart. It is one of the last patches of acacia combretum forest in the whole of Malawi, and is home to animals like wild hyenas, crocodiles, monkeys and antelopes and hundreds of species of birds and rare trees and orchids. We also work on a number of other habitat conservation projects around the country.
3) Environmental education: We have over 20000 visitors to the centre every year, half of which are local school children who would never have the chance to visit their own country’s national parks. Not only can we give them an amazing day out, we also have the chance to influence and inspire the next generation – ultimately the future of Malawi. Our major focus for the next year is to build up our capacity and infrastructure to deliver a fantastic education programme that not only provides them with knowledge about conservation and wildlife but also equips them with skills like numeracy and literacy.
4) Community outreach: this is an absolutely crucial part of our programme. Our outreach projects all include an element of wildlife or environmental conservation but also help participants in other areas of their lives. For example our adult literacy programme ‘learning through wildlife’ has helped scores of previously unemployed and illiterate women learn to read and write, empowering them to take control of their own lives e.g. finding a job/helping their own children learn to read and write. Another example is our ‘green and clean’ project which has also been very successful – over 6000 trees were planted last year, and we have managed to create a fuel briquette business with youngsters who are now selling the briquettes (made themselves using recycled materials, leaves etc) rather than selling firewood, therefore helping to reduce deforestation. We also personally distributed 12000 briquettes to the local community which has helped to generate a demand. The project has been extended thanks to UNDP funding.
What will the role entail?
You will report into the Marketing Manager and work alongside the local marketing officer, focusing on increasing awareness of our project and bringing in revenue to help us continue with our charitable work. Your responsibilities will include:
- Increasing local visitation through tactical marketing and improve the visitor experience.
- Running fundraising events such as 'Thirsty Thursdays', 'Movies By Moonlight' and the Wild Night Out Valentine's Ball.
- Supporting the education team with visiting school groups and outreach visits
- Re-invigorating our Friends & Adoptions scheme
- Overseeing the bar, reception and gift shop.
- Seeking out local and international press coverage and writing articles for local and international publications and our blog.
- Helping to recruit volunteers through new marketing channels.
Who is the perfect candidate?
In addition to the long list of qualities listed above, you will also need at least 1 year's experience in marketing, sales or events management. You'll need excellent writing skills and have good computer literacy, at the very least in Word, Powerpoint, Publisher and Excel with design and web editing skills highly desirable.
What's the deal?
We're looking to fill the role as soon as possible and you will need to commit to the role for 6-9 months, working a 6 day working week with a long weekend off every month. Your accommodation and food will be provided and you will be living in shared dorm-style accommodation with hot water and electricity right in the heart of the reserve - expect to wake up to the roar of the lion and the chattering of the monkeys! We will also provide airport transfers but all other expenses including flights, visas and insurance are your responsibility.
How to apply?
Send your CV and covering letter to Kate - marketing@llwc.org. The deadline for applications are 28th October, please submit earlier if possible.
Please note that our website is currently being re-built (www.lilongwewildlife.org) so it is best to refer to our Facebook page to get a clearer idea of our work here. or read last year's annual report here.
If this role is not suitable for you then please consider joining us as a volunteer, roles include animal care assistant, marketing intern, vet assistant, community outreach assistant, education assistant and doing general work around the centre to assist our busy and dedicated team. Placements run from as little as 2 weeks up to 3 months or more.
