UK Project Development & Office Assistant

IMPORTANT:  This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders.  Other applicants need not apply.

 

Job Title: UK Project Development & Office Assistant

Reporting to: Azafady Managing Director UK  and Education & Fundraising Coordinator

Location: Azafady London Office, W10 4LG

Contract Type: part-time, 2 days/week for a minimum of 6 months

Salary: N/A (voluntary)

Probationary period: 1 month

Focus: new donor searches; donor research; donor communications; proposal / report preparation; proof reading; project-based research; liaison with the Madagascar project development team; information formatting; written communications & media; general office administration

Position Overview:

An exciting and unique internship opportunity to work closely with key senior operational staff in a respected UK international development charity; this position has strong vocational content for anyone looking to break into the international development sector with future possibilities of progression into roles within the UK organisation and/or Madagascar-based NGO partner.

As the international development sector continues to grow, most jobs with international not-for-profits, charities and NGOs will require their employees to have relevant experience. This internship represents an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience for anyone wishing to pursue a career in international development, and gain understanding and skills across a wide range of duties associated with project development and practical charity management.  The internship spans a minimum of 6 months in total and is based in Azafady’s office in Queens Park, London.  The role will give the successful applicant a unique insight into the operations of an international NGO and experience in project development and administration. The internship is office based, and the diversity of activities which will be undertaken provides training for a development professional who can effectively and efficiently deal with a comprehensive range of tasks related to the complex world of overseas development work. Beyond the internship there is potential for progression within the organisation.

Required skills:

The successful applicant will:

• Hold or be studying towards an undergraduate degree in or relating to international development (or have   equivalent professional/experiential background)

• Demonstrate sound knowledge and keen interest in development and/or conservation issues facing least developed countries such as Madagascar; previous experience living or working in a developing country would be an asset
• Demonstrate sound knowledge and keen interest in at least one of Azafady’s three core areas (community health; sustainable livelihoods; environmental conservation); previous experience of community-based work would be an asset
• Have excellent analytical skills, with demonstrable ability in gathering and assimilating information from various sources, compiling documents (reports and proposals), and identifying lessons learnt and best practice
• Be proficient at using Excel spread sheets
• Have a sound ability to adapt material for different audiences
• Be able to conduct internet research into potential donors for project funding
  • Be able to work both independently and as part of a team
  • Be able to financially support themself for the duration of their internship as there is no stipend available for travel
  • Be willing to take on mundane tasks such as scanning and photocopying where necessary

Anyone interested in applying for this position should send a detailed CV and covering letter explaining how their skills and experience match the requirements in the job description to Azafady Managing Director Mark Jacobs by email.

Email: mark@azafady.org 

 

Regional background:

Madagascaris one of the most impoverished and least developed countries in the world, ranking 151/187 in the 2011 UN Human Development Index. Only 27% of the population live in urban areas, with the majority of the people working in subsistence agriculture in remote rural communities. The people of Anosy in the south east of the island are among the poorest in the country, with over 90% of the population living below the international poverty line ($1.25 / day). Anosy is one of the most isolated regions inMadagascar, and years of little or no state investment in basic service delivery has allowed extreme poverty to worsen. Education and health facilities are seriously underfunded, and the region suffers some of the highest levels of illiteracy and illness in the country. As many as 4 in 10 children die before their fifth birthday in some rural villages primarily due to inadequate water and sanitation provision (Ministry of Health, 2011) while recurrent food security crises contribute to the regional average of 60% of children who suffer from stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition.

Madagascaris also one of the planet’s most significant biodiversity hotspots. Approximately 4% of the earth’s flora and fauna species are found within this 0.4% of the planet’s land surface; the general level of endemism in plants and animals is estimated at over 80%, with many species yet to be named or even discovered. The Manafiafy littoral forest, a habitat designated as being of highest conservation priority in Madagascar, is located in the Anosy region. It is home to endemic and endangered chameleons, lemurs, birds and palms. Increasing demands for fuelwood, timber and the practice of tavy (shifting agriculture) means that the remaining forest is seriously fragmented and now covers just 1,950 hectares. Although a local stewardship mentality is evident it is also clear that conservation policies have been imposed from above with little or no community consultation, impacting negatively on those already greatly impoverished. Protected areas, although important for conservation, are negatively impacting local communities by restricting access to vital livelihood resources: fines are imposed for tavy, people walk many kilometres further every day to find fuelwood, and pressure has increased on unprotected forest fragments. Protection alone does not address what drives forest degradation: forest-dependent communities lacking access to alternative resources.

Tolagnaro (or FortDauphin), where Azafady is based, is an isolated town in the south east of the island, home to some 60,000 people. The population of this small town has rapidly grown in recent years as impoverished people migrate from rural areas in search of some form of employment. With the initial construction phase of a huge mining development now over, however, the job opportunities associated with its development are inaccessible to the majority of the local population and unemployment is a massive issue. While the government has adopted a detailed strategy paper for poverty reduction (MAP - Madagascar Action Plan), Anosy’s isolation means that little has changed, continuing to follow the precedent of years of no upkeep of existing – or provision of new – transportation / communications infrastructure.

Organisational background:

Azafady is an award-winning British registered charity (number 1079121) partnered with an independent Malagasy NGO. Azafady works within Fort Dauphin and surrounding rural communities across the Anosy region of south east Madagascar. Azafady aims to alleviate extreme poverty and protect unique biodiverse but greatly endangered forest environments by empowering the poorest people to meet their basic needs, improve their health and well-being, and establish sustainable livelihoods for themselves. At the heart of Azafady’s work is an integrated approach to community development and environmental conservation, sensitively built around what are directly expressed as the most pressing needs of the local population and which maximises their participation. Project activities are focused on the fields of health and sanitation, livelihood diversification, and natural resource management as priority intervention areas for the region identified with the participation of local communities. All projects align with and contribute to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people have benefited from Azafady’s projects over the past decade.

Azafady has over 15 years of project experience in the Anosy region, during which time the organisation has grown hugely in size and reputation. Azafady Ltd employs 3 staff members in theLondonoffice who are responsible for strategic planning, financial management, international awareness raising, fundraising, and promoting Azafady’s international volunteer schemes. The local NGO now employs over 60 Malagasy personnel, who are supported in-country by 2 expatriate permanent staff of Azafady Ltd (Director of Programmes & Operations and Head of Project Development) and through a network of international specialist volunteers sourced by Azafady Ltd. The NGO currently works across three rural and one urban commune within Anosy, and is a recognised regional specialist at community capacity building. Azafady has funding relationships with numerous donors including Comic Relief, AusAID and the Big Lottery Fund, and collaboration agreements with government ministries, international NGOs including CARE International and agencies such as the World Food Programme.

More information on the work of Azafady can be found at www.madagascar.co.uk   

Email: mark@azafady.org