IYCF COUNSELORS (2 Positions – Females Only) – Badhan & Bosaso

 

CARE INTERNATIONAL IN SOMALIA/SOMALILAND.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

IYCF COUNSELORS (2 Positions)

CARE Somalia/Somaliland is an International NGO working in Somalia. CARE and its partners work with vulnerable communities to address the underlying causes of poverty and promote peace and development, through its strategic goal to reduce poverty by empowering women, enhancing access to resources and services, and improving governance. CARE’s Emergency program is seeking applications from qualified candidates for the positions of i (3 posts based in Badhan and Bosaso (1 position each town) with significant travel across CARE offices in Somalia/Somaliland.

 

JOB SUMMARY

Under the supervision of the Senior IYCF officer and leadership of the Nutrition and health Manager– The IYCF counsellor will be expected to have demonstrated experience and knowledge in emergency nutrition response and humanitarian assistance agenda in Puntland. She will be required to extensively travel and support nutrition activities in Bari and Sanaag regions as well as support other nutrition programs ongoing in Sool and Sanaag Regions.

ROLES AND RESPOSIBILITIES;

R1: Implementation of IYCF activities in Bari and Sanag regions

Assess mothers and their children to identify specific feeding support needs (through Simple Rapid Assessment and Full Assessment of mother-baby pair)

Assess the knowledge of the beneficiaries before and after counselling sessions

Provide one-on-one breastfeeding counseling for mothers experiencing difficulties breastfeeding including supporting re-lactation

Provide tailored one-on-one counseling sessions to mothers, in line with needs discovered in initial assessments, offering practical advice and education on key IYCF issues

Ensure all mothers/caregivers are aware of the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months

Provide mothers with practical advice on correct attachment and positioning when breastfeeding and respond to any concerns or local taboos associated with breastfeeding

Counsel mothers on the appropriate time to introduce complementary feeding, and the benefits of continued breastfeeding and respond to any concerns or local taboos associated with complementary feeding

Educate the mothers on the quality, quantity and frequency of complementary feeds to promote adequate weight gain

Arrange food demonstration sessions (on complementary feeding) for the beneficiaries in collaboration with outreach workers, women support groups, and other key members of the community

Discourage and educate mothers on the dangers of feeding bottles

Provide appropriate counseling and ensure support is provided to caregivers of targeted infants who have no possibility to be breastfed

Provide training, demonstration, on-going guidance to mother to mother support group volunteers

Provide appropriate counseling for pregnant and lactating women, complementary feeding and maternal and child nutrition – to be tailored to the specific need

Provide pregnant women with preparatory counseling for breastfeeding and colostrum feeding, to prevent pre-lacteal feeds and bottle feeding

Counsel the mothers on correct maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation

Deliver messages on IYCF practices and maternal nutrition to the targeted community/communities through group education sessions

Lead the mother support group at the community level and ensure reports are shared timely with the IYCF officer

Contribute to the development of contextually appropriate IEC materials for local IYCF assessments

Utilize education materials on breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices, relaying accurate, practical, and specific advice for the mother’s needs

   R2: Reporting & Advocacy;

Maintain records of mothers and caregivers receiving individual and group counselling sessions,

Record number of mothers receiving rapid assessment and the improvement in their feeding practices

Submit monthly reporting of activities to the Senior IYCF officer and nutrition and health Program Manager

Take part in nutrition KAP assessments and provide well written focus group discussion reports.

Record and report any donations or untargeted distributions of infant formula, bottles and teats and other violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes

Play an active role in advocacy to promote proper IYCF-E Practices, antenatal and post-natal checkups, importance of institutional deliveries, vaccination and growth monitoring at the community level

Represent CARE at the humanitarian coordination forums convened by the nutrition clusters in Somaliland when delegated.

    R3: Referral and Coordination:

Refer children for intensive nutritional/medical care as required;

Ensure caregivers are aware of available services and advocate prioritization for caregivers, where necessary, in appropriate services and support

Refer all pregnant women to the next antenatal care services if not already informed

Identify/develop appropriate Information Education Communication (IEC) materials and flash cards in the local language, and ensure that the materials are used during counseling and are freely available at all centers and mother to mother support groups

Additional Tasks:

Participate in other IYCF-E program duties as requested

Ensure a comfortable, calm, environment for counseling sessions and maintain good relationships with the beneficiaries

Other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and are not necessarily all inclusive.

Required Qualifications and Competences;

This type of position requires only  female candidates

Midwife, nurse, nutritionist, auxiliary midwife, lactation/breastfeeding qualification.

Knowledge of optimal IYCF practices, able to support breastfeeding mothers, and a willingness to learn

Able to support caregivers.

Proven capacity of leadership and teamwork

Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathize with all beneficiaries and their cares

Capacity to keep accurate records of activities and report in a timely manner

Demonstrable ability at report writing

Ability to make a work plan and direct work independently

Ability to identify problems immediately and initiate improvements if needed with senior management

Highly organized and has excellent communications

Good computing skills in Microsoft Office, including Word, PowerPoint & Excel required.

Able to work independently as well as part of a team

Able to integrate into a multi-cultural team and cooperate with co-workers

Desirable:

Has worked in Somaliland before in similar role

Experience working in humanitarian emergency settings

Knowledge of the operational area

How to Apply: –

by

Interested candidates who meet the criteria above are encouraged to send their application letters and detailed CV in a one PDF document to  SOM.PuntlandRecruitment@care.org  latest by 18^th  October 2020. Candidates are required to quote the position title “IYCF Counselor and preferred Location” on the subject line of the email when applying. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply

CARE is an Equal Opportunity Employer promoting gender, equity and diversity. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS POSITION IS OPEN ONLY FOR FEMALE CANDIDATES.