Save the Children invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. By transforming children’s lives now, we change the course of their future and ours. Please give monthly and support our mission. Save the Children is working to strengthen health systems and support maternal and child health in four northern states. Much work needs to be done for Nigeria to deliver its promises on Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 (which aim to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health) before 2015. Facts About Nigeria More than 173 Million people live there The average girl stays in school only until she’s 9 123 out of 1000 children die before their 5th birthday A parent earns an average of just $4 a day Our Work Save the Children has been working in Nigeria since 2001. We’re helping to improve health systems in northern Nigeria to delivery maternal, newborn, and child health services, including the revival of routine immunization.
- Job Type: Full Time
- Qualification: BA/BSc/HND
- Location: Oyo
- Job Field: Medical / Healthcare, NGO/Non-Profit
As part of these responsibilities the post holder will support the establishment of child safeguarding systems, promote a culture of keeping children safe, and ensure that potential harm to children (by our own staff and/or as a result of how we do our work) is identified and addressed on an ongoing basis. The post holder should report and respond to interventions as determined by position related responsibilities identified in the Child Safeguarding Policy.
ROLE PURPOSE:
Support the implementation and monitoring of nutrition activities in the ANRIN Project in the following cluster of LGAs in the States: Cluster 2; Afijio, Oyo-West, Oyo-East, Atiba, Ogo Oluwa Ogbomosho South. Cluster 3- Orelope, Olorunsogo, Ori-Ire, Surulere, Irepo, Ogbomosho North.
Key Areas of Responsibility:
- With support from the Nutrition Specialist, ensure target beneficiaries (pregnant women, mothers/caregivers of children less than 24months, children 6 – 59months) access and utilize available nutrition services.
- Engage with community health focal points, community volunteers in cluster LGAs to implement quality nutrition interventions/delivery of nutrition services for the programme, which includes:
- Counselling of mothers/caregivers of children 0-23 months of age on improved behaviors related to maternal, infant and young child feeding, notably early, exclusive and continued breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding, and early stimulation.
- Distribution of micronutrient powders per month among children 6-23 months to improve the quality of complementary feeding.
- Iron-folic acid (IFA) supplementation for pregnant women by specifically addressing barriers that inhibit women from taking a full course of IFA tablets during pregnancy through counseling during ante-natal care sessions.
- Intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during ante-natal care by pregnant women.
- Provision of zinc/oral rehydration solution (ORS) for treatment of diarrhea among children 6-59 months of age.
- Provision of vitamin A supplementation among children 6-59 months of age.
- Provision of deworming tablets among children 12-59 months of age.
- Supervise activities of community health focal points, community volunteers in cluster LGAs.
- Work with MEAL team in beneficiary verification and contribute to various project Reports.
- Ensure programme approaches and implementation are sensitive to cultural and gender dynamics.
- Provide technical assistance LGA teams and Health Workers on nutrition, with a particular focus on development of effective methodologies to improve health and nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices.
- Conduct follow up monitoring of nutrition-related activities and document findings to feed into improved programming.
- Support strengthening of information flow between State and LGA.
Capacity Building:
- Contribute to the development and/or adaptation of training materials.
- Facilitate on nutrition trainings in project locations for CHFPs and CVs.
- Develop training plans for Health Workers, CHFPs and CVs based on identified needs.
Documentation and reporting:
- Ensure timely collection, compilation and analysis of quality data as well as production of quantitative and qualitative reports regarding nutrition activities in the Programme.
- Provide technical review of programme reports in line with the M&E framework.
- Work closely with the MEAL team to ensure that data are captured in a correct and accurate manner.
Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:
- Represent SCI in relevant LGA level forums for nutrition in coordination with other Partners.
- Contribute to communications and media work as required through correction of data and information Sharing with the Project team.
Safeguarding:
- Collaborate with the Safeguarding lead to ensure Safe programming is followed in project activities, especially the ones involving children.
- Ensure partner staff, volunteers and animators receive SAFEGUARDING training on an on-going basis.
- Conduct Safeguarding risk assessment and develop mitigation plans for child-friendly spaces /distributions sites/vendors.
- Conduct/Include Safeguarding risk assessment in programme activities.
- Ensure Safeguarding IEC and ensure key Safeguarding Messages are visible in all project sites.
- Report to the appropriate channels immediately and always within 24 hours, when aware of a Safeguarding incident or receive reports of concerns.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Health/Public Health/Nutrition.
- Demonstrable ability at report writing.
- Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathise with all beneficiaries and their carers
- Resident in and familiarity with the cluster LGAs is necessary.
- Experience in community based interventions in Western part of Nigeria is an advantage
- Fluency in written and spoken English and local languages.
- Computer literate
- Prepared to live and work in an uncertain security environment
- Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions.
- Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.