Madagascar: Project Development Intern

An exciting in country internship supporting the health, WASH and education work of one of the leading sustainable development and conservation NGOs in Madagascar

Project Development Internship (Madagascar) - Role Description

Position Overview:

Based in the coastal town of Fort Dauphin in the south East of Madagascar this internship will provide support to the public health projects run through the NGO. Based within a joint Malagasy and International team, your role will include developing the projects with Malagasy staff, writing the proposals enabling these to gain funding, supporting with the implementation of projects and evaluating their success. The internship is predominantly office based, and the diversity of activities which will be undertaken provide a complete training for a development professional who can effectively and efficiently deal with a comprehensive range of tasks related to the complex world of overseas development work.

This exciting post would suit someone with some experience of health projects or a passion to learn and would be essential in country experience for anyone wishing to enter International Development as a career.

Location: Fort Dauphin, Anosy Region, Madagascar

Timeframe:12 months extendable

Probationary period: 3 months

Contract: Voluntary, unsalaried with Azafady Ltd

Reporting to: Head of Project Development

Focus:

Proposal / report preparation, editing and writing; information formatting; development of new projects; monitoring & evaluation of current projects; donor communications; and liaison with the London project development team.

Required skills:

The successful applicant will:

· Hold an undergraduate/Masters degree in or relating to international development, public/community health or WASH, or have equivalent experience in any area relating to the role

· Demonstrate sound knowledge and keen interest in community health, WASH and education; previous experience of community-based work would be an asset

· Demonstrate commitment to Azafady’s ethos and approach

· Have excellent analytical skills, with demonstrable ability in gathering and assimilating information from various sources, compiling documents (reports and proposals), and identifying lessons learnt and best practice

· Have excellent written communication skills and an ability to tailor written information for maximum impact among various audiences

· Have an understanding of the importance of project monitoring and evaluation and of approaches used to measure outcomes and impact

· Be able to work to tight deadlines in an organised manner and to a high standard

· Be able to conduct internet research into potential donors for project funding

· Have a flexible and patient attitude

· Have excellent problem solving skills

· Have the ability and desire to build capacity across cultures

· Have the ability and desire to work with teams from different economic and cultural backgrounds and across multiple language barriers

· Have passion and motivation for the job and the ability to enthuse others

· Demonstrate proven ability to recognise and appropriately deal with challenging situations

· Demonstrate the ability, social skills and confidence to give clear guidance to other Azafady interns and volunteers on the philosophy and procedures of Azafady in order to protect both their safety and the reputation of the NGO

· Demonstrate an awareness of and comfort with increased social and professional responsibility, working at all times with cultural sensitivity

· Be fluent in English (written and spoken) and be able to write engagingly and clearly; working knowledge of French would be a strong asset

· Be able to work both independently and as part of a team

· Be able to financially support themself for the duration of their internship (advice on individual fundraising available)

· Be equipped with a laptop computer

Country and organisation background:

Madagascar is one of the planet’s most significant biodiversity hotspots, with approximately 4% of Earth’s different floral and faunal species within this 0.4% of the planet’s land surface. Levels of endemism in plants and animals are estimated at over 80%, with many species yet to be named or even discovered. However, Madagascar is also one of the world’s poorest countries, ranking 155/187 on the 2013 UN Human Development Index, and is one of the top three countries considered most vulnerable to the effects of climate change (along with Bangladesh and India) as a result of the effects of deforestation and natural disasters, and a lack of capacity to adapt to these factors through chronic poverty and a dependence on subsistence agriculture. Rapidly expanding populations (increasing at a rate of approximately 3% per year) and decreasing access to land have rendered traditional farming practices inadequate but populations lack information, training and necessary inputs to implement alternatives. These highly vulnerable communities depend on natural resources for their livelihoods, including forest resources for firewood, timber and the traditional practice of ‘tavy’ (slash and burn agriculture). Without information being available to rural communities about alternative and more sustainable livelihood practices, poverty and increasing populations are resulting in severely and increasingly degraded forest environments.

Within the Anosy Region in the south east where Azafady is based, spiralling poverty and environmental degradation are seen in their most extreme form. Over 80% of the population live below the poverty line, 48% have never been to school, and 6% of children die before their 5^th birthday. Anosy is also home to the Ambatoantsignana littoral forest, a severely fragmented habitat with exceptional biodiversity, where levels of endemism of flora and fauna reach some 90%. Ambatoantsignana has been designated one of the highest conservation priorities in Madagascar; situated as it is within one of the country’s most impoverished regions it is one of the world’s most significantly threatened habitats. The fragility of the ecosystem is exacerbated through the impacts of repeated drought in the south of the island and failed harvests, which have forced many farmers into charcoal production - further degrading forest environments. Further, it is estimated that around 80% of the remaining littoral forest in Anosy is subject to planned clearance over the next 50 years as a result of mining activities, leaving few options for the multitude of species, including humans, which depend on these forests for their survival. QMM, a subsidiary of mining giant Rio Tinto, has received authorisation to mine the area for mineral sands (ilmenite), and operations have already begun in the pilot site. The Ambatoantsignana littoral forest is home to numerous endemic and endangered species which face extinction if this fragile habitat is not protected and direct species interventions are not implemented.

Azafady UK is a British registered charity (charity no.1079121) based in London and Fort Dauphin, Madagascar. Established in 1994, Azafady UK works in partnership with ONG Azafady, a Malagasy non-governmental organisation. Azafady has over 20 years’ experience in grassroots community development work, during which time the organisation has grown hugely in size and reputation. The NGO now employs a workforce of over 60 Malagasy personnel, who are supported in country by a team of approximately 15 staff and specialist volunteers from the international community sourced by Azafady UK. The organisation works in Fort Dauphin, the urban centre of the Anosy region, and surrounding rural communities aiming to alleviate extreme poverty and protect a unique but greatly endangered environment by empowering the poorest people to improve their health and wellbeing and establish sustainable livelihoods. At the heart of Azafady’s work is an integrated approach to community development, sensitively built around what are directly expressed as the most pressing needs of local populations, which maximises their participation in all stages. Project activities are focused on the areas of construction, health and sanitation, livelihood diversification plus natural resource management and conservation, and the NGO is a recognised regional specialist in capacity building. All projects align with and contribute to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and the Madagascar Action Plan derived from these.

Interested applicants should send a CV and covering letter outlining how their skills and experience match the requirements in the role description criteria to Lisa@azafady.org. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Long-listed applicants will have an initial informal chat with Madagascar based staff and short listed applicants will then be offered a face-to-face interview with the London team in person.

More information on the work of Azafady can be found at www.azafady.org