About us:
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is an Agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of private, non-denominational development agencies that share a mission to improve the living conditions and opportunities for marginalized communities across some target countries in Africa and Asia. AKF was established by His Highness the Aga Khan in Switzerland in 1967 and AKF work in East Africa started in 1974. In Uganda, AKF operates a multi-sectoral portfolio that includes programming in Education, Economic Inclusion, Civil Society, Health and Early Childhood Development predominantly in the Central and West Nile Regions.
Project Summary
AKF is implementing the Strengthening children’s resilience and learning continuity project Amidst COVID-19 disruptions with support from LEGO Foundation. In Uganda, the 18 month project is being implemented in the districts of Arua and Yumbe to leverage and amplify evidence-based solutions to strengthen the resilience of schools, families, and children against further disruptions to children’s learning due to COVID-related uncertainty and shocks. Within this, the objective of the project is to drive a culture of reading and a culture of authorship. The latter is critical for driving developed stories into the hands of children to further influence reading. To achieve this, AKF proposed interventions, include: Home learning Packs for children aged 3-10 (constituting ‘Let’s make a Toy’ and AKF’s Play kits), Community Listening Libraries for early years and primary (These include Listening Library Starter Kits consisting of a Yoto Player and preloaded content, introductory guidance on how to use the Yoto Player, introductory guidance and ideas for creating a vibrant library, supplementary materials such as make a Toy and Play kits, physical story books, and any other materials as deemed relevant during the piloting processes. The successful candidate will be based in Arua.
Key roles and responsibilities
The Project Officers will support day to day the implementation of all project activities and ensure timely delivery of project deliverables. S/he will also be responsible for planning implementation of activities under the guidance of the Project Coordinator.
Specific duties include:
Implementation
- Support organizing of project inception meetings for key stakeholders and implementing partners
- Work with coordinator and consultants to undertake rapid assessments in project sites to establish learning opportunities that may be emerging during COVID 19
- Support establishment of learning libraries and work with community librarians to identify caregivers to support the project
- Identify and select participants for various ongoing project trainings
- Support project actors to conduct quarterly and monthly stakeholder visits to promote COVID responsive learning practices for children
- Organise training on learning through play with a focus on Toy making for caregivers
- Facilitate implementation of the Community Action Cycle in target communities (including the formation and training of community mobilisation teams, issue prioritisation, and conducting social audits)
- Distribute and support communities to adapt learning materials and associated equipment including Yoto players
Project Compliance
- Ensure that activity plans and budgets are developed/submitted to the Program Manager in time
- Draft activity reports to contribute to the quarterly and annual project reporting deliverables and flag challenges and other key concerns
- Support drafting of interest stories, lessons learnt and share with senior management team.
Partnerships and collaborations
- Maintain good/efficient working relationship with partners including district authorities, other CSOs, targeted centres and other institutions.
- Support integration of Child Protection activities for other collaborating CSOs including orientation of staff on child safeguarding and other good practices
- Laisse with centre management committees to engage parents in the development and implementation of Centre Child friendly spaces
- Maintain effective networks with all partners local government and participates in district based forums for promoting learning
- Participate in project-wide level and district level regular work planning and review/reflection
- Organise, coordinate and conduct field visits for district, internal and external visitors including consultants interested in learning from AKF interventions.
- Perform other relevant duties as and when assigned by AKF
Minimum qualifications and experience
- A recognised degree in Education, gender, Social Sciences or similar fields with children and adult learning background.
- 3-5 years relevant experience of working on learning programs
- Familiar with TOT evidence-based models for facilitators and other community Change Agents/Resource Persons
- Experience mobilising stakeholders and respectfully working with them to develop action plans, monitor implementation, document and disseminate findings.
- Familiar working with Local Governments to promote education and gender advocacy
- Experience of working in multi-cultural and diverse teams including experience of working in Refugee Settlement context
- Evidence of understanding of and commitment to child protection and safeguarding as well as other vulnerable populations
- Fluent in one or more of the following three local languages: Kakwa, Lugbarati and Aringa’ti, will be an added advantage
- Ability to ride a motorcycle and possession of a valid riding permit will be an added advantage.
More Information
- Job City Arua
