Helping Shift Attitudes: Girls Getting an Education in Africa

• Type: Volunteer / Intern
• Location: Africa - Sub-Saharan
• Organisation: NGOabroad
  NGOabroad is a unique service that helps people enter international humanitarian work & provides frugal, customized international volunteer options. http://www.ngoabroad.com/ When aspiring international workers come to NGOabroad, these services are designed to help them: 1) Career Consults that help people enter into or advance in international humanitarian work. Ann McLaughlin MSW brings 25 years counseling experience to help: articulate strengths; clarify goals; design strategies; write powerful cover letters & resumes. See http://www.ngoabroad.com/ 2 international experience--getting your "foot-in-the-door" Most people entering international work do not know how it is organized, what the opportunities are or how to go about their search. This is a treasure trove of opportunities from beginning to more advanced and custom fit to the candidate's skills and aspirations. 3) exciting international volunteer programs Most international employers need workers with strong international experience. But where does one get that experience? It is a Catch-22 for many beginners. NGOabroad can utilize its rich volunteer programs to provide entry experience. We have volunteer programs in democracy building & human rights; building a girls' school in Africa where girls have been excluded; empowering refugees; literacy & counseling; vocational training, micro-finance & business development to eradicate poverty; mentoring street kids; caring for AIDS orphans. "NGOabroad is a fantastic service for anyone wanting to work internationally, be it paid or volunteer work. I was very impressed by Ann, her honest optimism (no sugarcoating but no dire warnings) and her curiosity about me and my goals are as well as her obvious dedication. Ann's insight into and knowledge of the world and non-profit organizations is invaluable. I now have a much clearer idea of what opportunities are out there for me and I have a real understanding of where I can best contribute my skills." Simone Pfeiffer, Montreal
• Closing Date: 01-Oct-2010
• Description:
  Exciting grassroots girls school in Africa seeks people that can help shift community attitudes about girls and women, especially about the importance of education for girls. To make on-going progress with girls school, a consciousness raising campaign is needed. "The importance of educating girls in Africa. "I think it's very important for people to recognize that the lack of education for both boys and girls is a crisis in Africa," says Gene Sperling, director of the Center for Universal Education at the Council on Foreign Relations. "But the benefits of girls' education, in terms of improving health, women's empowerment, and family well-being, probably does make girls' education the highest-returning social investment in the world." The World Bank has found that when a country improves education for girls, its overall per capita income increases and its fertility rate drops. Other studies show that improved female education is linked to higher crop yields, lower HIV infection rates, and reduced infant mortality. UNICEF's annual "State of the World's Children Report" calls gender equity - particularly in education - a "double dividend" for developing countries."
• Applicant Requirements:
  1) Degrees & credentials are not as critical as your ability to gradually shift attitudes 2) Ability to gracefully integrate into village life in Africa; patiently grasp the current attitudes & beliefs. 3) Design the plan of action & strategies along with Director. This is a long term project. You will tackle one chunk. 4) Need to be able to make sound assessment of community strengths; who to engage & how; how to address adversaries. 4) There is not a formal job description. This is "uncharted territory" that requires someone comfortable with improvisation; and 5) Extraordinary people skills Types of backgrounds that may be helpful: (note: any experience in corporate world must be transposed to rural, village life): 1) community organizers & leaders 2) organizational leaders 3) media, marketing or advertising 4) mothers of girls who volunteered in daughters' schools 5) conflict resolution/mediation-- being able to find resolution to differences 6) educators, counselors & youth workers
• Application instructions:
  Interested? Please read the entire NGOabroad website. Email info as requested on home page: embedded resume & answered Questionnaire to info@NGOabroad.com
• Restrictions: 1) Dogmatic stance is counter-productive. 2) Must have ability to adapt to village life
• Other Contact Details:
  We communicate by email.
• Contact Person: Ann McLaughlin info@NGOabroad.com
• More information about this Volunteer / Intern...

Dev-Zone Opportunity ID No. 9119     Hits: 102