About US:
The MIFUMI Project is an international aid agency founded in 1989. Their mission is to reduce the burden of poverty by securing basic rights for people living in remote communities in Uganda (The MIFUMI Project, 2013). Mifumi Health Center (MHC), the only health center in Mifumi village, was set up by The MIFUMI Project and opened in 2001. The unit provides maternity services, including antenatal, delivery and postnatal care; primary health care and laboratory services, as well as health information and community outreach services. To date, MHC has attended to over 85,000 patients, mostly residents of Mifumi village. MHC is Mifumi Health Services (MHS) an autonomous division of MIFUMI.
About Comic Relief Project:
MIFUMI recently acquired a grant from Comic Relief to help secure healthier lives for the women and children of MHC catchment area through improved access to and quality of health services at MHC.
Job Summary: The Programmes Manager will oversee the implementation of this grant in collaboration with the Management of MHS, staff of MHC and other pertinent structures (District Health Management Team (DHMT) including the District Health Officer (DHO), Village Health Team (VHT) and Village Savings Loan Associations (VSLA) in MHC catchment area).
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Project Implementation: Support with the implementation of the project “Securing healthier lives for the rural women and children of Mifumi village catchment area”. The project site is Mifumi village, Tororo district. As such, the Programmes Manager will be expected to relocate to Mifumi village for project lifetime.
In charge of managing implementation of the project at the health centre in collaboration with MHC staff
Managing implementation of the project at community level, in close collaboration with the VHT and VSLA
Strengthening the involvement and engagement of the District Health Officer (DHO) and the District Health Management Team (DHMT) in project implementation in an effort to get government buy-in as MHC transitions from HCIII to HCIV
Work closely with any other project implementation partners and other pertinent stakeholders.
Influencing community engagement and behavioural change: This project is taking a participatory approach, involving the community in project implementation, relaying feedback to the community and helping the community take control of their own health. As such, community liaison is critical.
The Programmes Manager will actively engage the community, support them, source them out and identify challenges they are facing with respect to helping them take control of their own health; in this particular case, with respect to helping them support mothers and children to access health services.
Development of Sustainability Strategies: We appreciate that the promotion of health in a community cannot be achieved in isolation. Along side gearing up healthcare sustainable development for the whole community (Mifumi village) must be addressed. This would require tackling poverty and income, preventive health care, prevailing illnesses (sickle cell anaemia, NCDs etc.), environment issues, literacy issues etc. However, this will all happen as part of a gradual process.
More specific to this grant, MHS would like to support with the transition of MHC from an accredited HCIII to an accredited HCIV. The Programmes Manager shall support with this effort going forward.
Furthermore, MHS would like to extend service offering at MHC to include tackling of other profound illnesses, including but not limited to sickle cell anaemia, NCDs etc.
The Programmes Manager will work with the rest of MHS Management to ensure sustainable development in Mifumi village catchment area. In this respect, the Programmes Manager shall be expected to contribute to fundraising and visibility.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
The ideal applicant for the Programmes Manager job career must hold a university degree in development studies or social works or project management (or equivalent)
A minimum of five years’ experience in health development projects (or equivalent), preferably in a rural setting
Excellent track record of supporting with community initiatives in rural settings, especially initiatives that involve influencing communities to take charge of their health and of sustainable development (behavioral change)
Soft skills: Dependable, high integrity, team spirit, self-initiative, leadership among others.
Command of the local language ‘adhola’ is critical
Conscious of human rights, especially the rights of women and children in society and the impact of violence on sexual and reproductive health and health rights.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified candidates should submit their E-mail applications including a cover letter, updated CV / resume and full academic credentials to health@mifumi.org
Deadline: 15th July, 2016