World Vision (WV) has been awarded a multi-million EUR grant from the European Union (EU) to lead a consortium of partners to implement their Accelerating Health Agriculture and Nutrition (AHAN) project under pillar three of the EU’s Partnership for Improved Nutrition in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). Consortium partners include World Vision Australia (lead) with 4 implementing partners: World Vision Laos, Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontière (AVSF), Green Community Development Association (GCDA) and the Burnet Institute.
The AHAN project has the overall objective of creating supportive conditions for enhanced household (HH) nutrition through the following specific objectives:
- Improved access to and availability of sufficient and/or diverse foods year round;
- Improved dietary and care practices among Women of Reproductive Age and children under 5;
- Reduced incidence of selected Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (coordination) related diseases/illnesses linked to under nutrition;
- Improved gender equitable relations at the HH level, particularly in decision-making and distribution of workload; and
- Strengthened multi-sector coordination and support for nutrition. The project will be implemented across three provinces and 12 districts of Lao PDR.
The Project Officer will work closely with the District Coordinator to facilitate and maintain strong government and community relationships in their assigned district. They will facilitate participation, ownership and empowerment of community processes, and represent World Vision as an organization that walks alongside children, families and communities in a journey of transformational development.
Key activities the Project Officer will be responsible for include
- Facilitate Community Change Workshops/meetings for Gender and Nutrition, in partnership with LWU
- Establish and support village level Nutrition Groups
- Facilitate trainings and support LWU and VHV on community sexual and reproductive health and identification, management and referral of childhood illnesses and malnutrition.
- Coordinate with Government Health staff to support quarterly Village Health Outreach services
- Support CLTS and WASH campaigns at village level
- Establish and support Village Savings Groups
- Train HH on gender and nutrition-sensitive financial literacy and management
- Identify and distribute women’s labour saving technologies
- Support Agricultural Activities implemented by AVSF
- Monitoring of activities and collection of data
- Support other project activities and needs as required/requested
- At least 3-5 years’ experience in working with the rural community on Nutrition, Health, Gender or WASH activities
- 3-5 years’ experience on community mobilization, with demonstrable skills resulting in community behavior change
- Must understand and agree with WV’s vision, mission and Core Values
- Fluent in local ethnic language and Lao (dependent on target District)
- Must be willing to work and stay overnight at the target village areas
- Must be willing to work within a team
- Must be willing to learn new things
- Fluent in target ethnic language and Lao