Volunteer Officer Job in Kenya - Emergency WASH


Emergency WASH Volunteer Officer - TEREF
 
Job Location:Nairobi - St John Programs in Kenya (SJKP) Headquarters
 
Job Description:
 
For nearly 83 years St John Programs in Kenya has been on the forefront in facilitating sustainable appropriate, affordable health and development to the hard to reach and poor of the poor communities. 

We work with communities, our dedicated volunteers, Government line ministries and various relevant departments and likeminded stakeholders to deliver this.
 
Our Approach
 
St John Kenya Programs has been forging partnerships with communities in need to address complex problems related to health, economic development, disasters, Conflicts and nutrition, and building effective governance and institutions.
 
Program Background 
 
For nearly 83 years SJKP has been on the forefront in facilitating sustainable appropriate, affordable health and development to the hard to reach and poor of the poor communities. 

We work with communities, our dedicated volunteers, Government line ministries and various relevant departments and likeminded stakeholders to deliver this.
 
Our Approach
 
St John Kenya Programs has been forging partnerships with communities in need to address complex problems related to health, economic development, disasters, Conflicts and nutrition, and building effective governance and institutions.
 
The Tana River Emergency Program (TEREF)
 
During the recent inter ethnic clashes conflicts in Tana River, more than 100 people were confirmed died, hundreds of households displaced, houses and livelihoods were destroyed. Hospitals and clinics were overwhelmed by the increased number of patients, and their supplies rapidly depleted. 

Nurses and doctors from ‘wrong’ communities had to flee for their lives even as tensions and ethnic animosity escalated. Hundreds had gone through traumatic experiences; women and children had been forced to flee their only shelters and homes. 

Majority of the IDPS have now been integrated into communities around, however poor Sanitation and hygienic practices   have rendered many children susceptible to life threatening diseases like diarrhoea and Respiratory Tract Infection (RTI). Normalcy is slowly returning, although inter-ethnic cohesion is still a dream that is yet to be realized  

Since  February 2013 SJKP in partnership  with MoH and other stakeholders  with support from the International Office designed the TEREF
 
The main objective of the programme is to improve the holistic well being of victims of adversarial groups in Tana River, specifically women and Children
 
Program outcome: increased resilience and coping mechanism levels among women and children at risk in Tana River County through the following key strategic interventions

Job Summary 

The WASH Officer’s main tasks lie in the assessment, analysis and prioritization of urgent WASH response needs, the designing, implementation and coordination of emergency WASH interventions, and the training of local staff and stakeholders in WASH related topics.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 
1. Assessment
  • Provide water, sanitation and hygiene sectoral leadership and expertise in relevant needs assessments and analysis.
  • Conduct initial rapid assessment of current situation in collaboration with health workers and affected population; determine priorities and immediate activities and resources.
  • Represent SJKP to stakeholders and Governmental and non-Governmental agencies
  • Assess in-country resources and capacities (human, material and financial) for response with relevant staff and agencies.
2. Programme Design
  • Define aims and objectives of the overall WASH response programme.
  • Design an appropriate overall response to the current emergency, taking into account the needs of the community; the current levels of capacity and cooperation within the Health structures; and eventual expanding of current programs.
  • Select and design water systems including source selection (ground water, surface water), abstraction, storage, treatment and distribution for new systems and/or the rehabilitation of old systems.
  • Select and design the most appropriate form of sanitation system (to include excreta disposal, vector control, solid waste disposal, drainage) taking full account of local conditions, resources, customs and cultural norms.
  • Select and design, in collaboration with other actors a suitable hygiene promotion strategy
  • Ensure that issues of protection, gender, livelihoods, DRR and environmental impact, operation and maintenance and sustainability are factored into the programme design.
  • Ensure Sphere standards both qualitative and quantitative are considered and any departures documented.
  • Develop letters of intent, concept papers, budgets and proposals in respect of the above.
3. Response Management and Implementation
  • Plan and manage WASH programme in a phased and prioritised manner with full consultation and co-ordination with SJKP staff and other agencies both governmental and non-governmental.
  • Ensure gender is fully considered throughout the project cycle with women being enabled to influence decision- making around WASH issues.
  • Organize with the logistics and finance departments materials and support needed for all activities.
Job Requirements:
  • Bachelor’s degree (emphasis in Water/Public Health/Sanitation)
  • 1+ years of relevant work experience (minimum of 1 years in humanitarian situations; camp settings a plus)
  • Experience in emergency response, including rapid assessments and needs analysis
  • Experience in hygiene promotion in humanitarian contexts
  • Ability to work in extreme weather conditions
  • Profound cross-cultural awareness and sound knowledge of public health issues
  • Ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions independently
  • Extremely flexible, and have the ability to cope with stressful situations and frustrations
  • Ability to relate to and motivate local staff effectively
  • Creativity and the ability to work with limited resources
  • Sense of humor
  • Fluency in English (both oral and written skills)
Applications to be emailed to lotern.brown@stjohnkenya.org