Voluntary Project Coordinator – Role Description
This is a voluntary role, but board and lodge is provided, with our non-profit NGO in Malawi. The accommodation and projects are in a fantastic location on the edge of Lake Malawi and for the right person this is a great opportunity to be involved with and play an important part in the success of our medical and healthcare, teaching, sports and agricultural projects in rural communities in Mangochi District.
The voluntary project coordinator works alongside our local staff in Malawi, supervising the volunteers and with responsibilities that include assisting with planning and reporting on projects, administration, organisation of the NGOs activities and programmes, accounting and online marketing. It is hard work and not just a holiday, but for the right person who is motivated, organised, positive and energetic also a very rewarding personal experience.
Your role will be to support and assist the Project Manager (Sam Galanje), reporting to the Project Manager and Chairman (Marc Crouch). Your duties and responsibilities may include, although not exclusively, the following:
Project Planning and Reporting
- Assist with planning, implementation and management of ongoing and new project initiatives
- In particular, ensure that written project plans are compiled for new projects
- Writing fundraising proposals and grant applications
- Reporting on project outcomes and achievements
- Communicating project needs and achievements through social media, creation of newsletter and blog content for past and prospective volunteers and potential donors.
Volunteer Placements and Project Management
- Making sure volunteers understand their roles, are confident in them and carry them out effectively.
- Spending time at each project area to ensure that each activity runs continuously smoothly and effectively.
- Assessing the projects, helping to improve and develop them, so they are most effective and of maximum benefit to the communities we are serving.
- Assisting with monthly budget planning to make sure limited resources are utilised in the most effective way possible.
- Ensuring good record keeping of accounts is in place, that spending is carried out appropriately and different funds are spent and recorded separately.
- Ensuring all records are kept in an organised way, so they are accessible and useful.
Logistics
- Airport transfers to/from Lilongwe scheduled every second Monday. Assisting with driving (if relevant), planning shopping for items needed for project activities that need to be bought from the city.
- Weekly shopping in Mangochi (or Lilongwe) for medical and food supplies for the project.
- Assisting with induction days for the volunteers, providing a comprehensive induction that covers everything from cultural awareness and life in Malawi to daily routine and project activities overview.
- Ensuring project activities are well organised and run to schedule
- Organising weekend trips to National Parks, beach or mountain locations. Making sure the volunteers have the opportunity to see more of Malawi and make the most of their free time at weekends.
- Assisting with driving transfers (if applicable) to different local project areas if the volunteers are not able to walk/use bicycles to get to placements.
We are looking for someone who is prepared to make a minimum commitment of 6 months (ideally a year or longer).
The right candidate should meet the following criteria:
Skills and Qualities
- Well organised – good at keeping daily accounts, record keeping and report writing.
- Friendly and personable – enjoy spending time around new people and getting to know people of many different ages, cultures and backgrounds.
- Patient, flexible and resourceful – able to cope if things don’t run according to plan or schedule.
- Cooperative and supportive team player – able to willingly take direction from others, who may be less skilled in certain areas and happy to support managers, other team members and volunteers in developing their own skills and fulfilling their roles effectively. Willingness to accept decisions made by others after consultation.
- Hard working – this is not a normal 09.00-17.00 role – days are generally long, with early starts and late finishes and duties that need to be carried out at weekends.
- Open minded and prepared to consider all perspectives when carrying out project work, including the ability to be considerate of local cultures and respect different ways of doing things; sometimes things may take longer to do in a particular way, but may be necessary to follow in order to keep positive relations with a community.
- Passionate and motivated to make a difference to disadvantaged communities and driven to carry out the hard work and the less glamorous side of things that will make this possible.
- Due to the nature of the opportunity the ideal candidate will have a relevant background or some experience in coordinating volunteer programmes in Africa, community development, education or healthcare.
Email us with your CV if you are interested in this role.
info@volunteerafrica.com
