WPE Community Mobilizer ( Meme and Bamenda)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the behest of Albert Einstein, IRC provides lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee war or disaster. Present today in more than 40 countries, we are restoring safety, dignity and hope for millions of crises affected people who struggle to survive. IRC's mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are disrupted by conflict or disaster to survive, recover, and take charge of their future.

IRC began operations in Cameroon in 2016 to meet some of the growing needs of people affected by Boko Haram-related violence in the country's Far North. Assistance to displaced populations extends across the Far North, notably Mayo Sava, Mayo Tsanaga and Logone & Chari, by providing assistance to increase access to water and improve hygiene practices in the displaced communities and vulnerable hosts, cash support programs to enable poor families to meet basic needs and improve food security, and protection programs, particularly by meeting the specific needs of women and girls. The coordination office is in Yaoundé with field bases in Maroua and Kousseri.

Following the growing crisis in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, IRC expanded its operations to the South West region in August 2018 and the North West region in December 2019. IRC provides vital humanitarian assistance to internally displaced populations, with a field base in Buea, Kumba Ekondo Titi and Bamenda.

IRC Cameroon is committed as expressed in its strategic action plan 2020, to continue providing essential humanitarian services, emphasizing on the need for secured communities and ensuring that affected populations can meet their basic needs, while re-enforcing beneficiaries’ resilience, especially women and girls. IRC Cameroon is funded by European and American donors.

Summary

The Women, Protection and Empowerment program within the International Rescue Committee (the program is committed to combating gender-based violence) provides assistance to survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

IRC is recruiting a Community Mobilizer for the Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) program who are members of the mobile protection team, operating in the Regions of SW and NW.

The Community Mobilizer will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) activities at the village level, as directed by the Women Protection and Empowerment Manager The main objective of this position is to facilitate the implementation of WPE activities in the communities. The Community Mobilizer spends most of their time in the community, identifying target communities, building relationships with community leaders, participating in implementation activities on the ground, such as: Awareness raising, referring survivors of GBV to the Case Management Assistant, participate in assessments, identify potential beneficiaries, register beneficiaries, participate in the distribution of items (for example, the Dignity and COVID-19 kits) to beneficiaries. The incumbent will report to the WPE Assistant and the Women's Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Officer.

Intervention zone

The Community Mobilizer will be based in Meme: Kombone Mission& Town, Kake 1&2, Big & Small Ekombe, Kwakwa; Ndian :Bekora, Masore, and Lobe Estate; Bamenda: Chomba, Santa, Bambui & Bambili with frequent trips to other localities according to the needs of the WPE program.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the WPE Assistant and Officer, the community mobilizer will:

• Organize information and awareness sessions with women and girls in the community to disseminate information on available services and main protection concerns,
• Maintain regular contact with community focal points and community volunteers to ensure a constant flow of information and feedback,
• Participate in data collection at community-level program evaluations regarding the provision of WPE services and share the report with his/her supervisor. The Community Mobilizer needs to harmonize his/her report with the WPE assistant who submits to the WPE officer,
• Facilitate access, acceptance by the community of IRC teams as well as its activities by the community,
• Promote community participation in IRC’s activities,
• Contribute to the community mobilization process by implementing a participatory community-based targeting approach for the identification and registration of project beneficiaries (displaced people, host populations and returnees),
• Participate in the preparation and organization of WPE trainings/workshops to be held in the community for community volunteers, focal points, and/or beneficiaries,
• Participate in community awareness campaigns to end Gender-Based Violence,
• Ensure compliance with barriers measures against COVID-19 during implementation of all program activities,
• Participate in the identification, registration, and selection of project beneficiaries according to defined selection criteria,
• Participate in the distribution of dignity kits to beneficiaries in target locations.                 

Technical Quality

• Builds adherence to GBV fundamental principles in all WPE activities.
• Ensure that engagement with women, girls and their community is aligned with best practice when working with GBV survivors.

Monitoring

• Collect relevant data during project implementation and provide regular reports to his/her supervisor.
• Monitoring sensitizations on the awareness of gender-based violence prevention measures.
• Assist in data collection during post-distribution surveys and evaluations and surveys on knowledge, attitudes, and practices, if necessary
• Collect/register complaints/feedbacks from beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries and forward them to the appropriate persons concerned.

General

• Adheres to the IRC Way (IRC Ethics).
• Ensures the optimal implementation of the IRC Way in the working environment and during the implementation of activities.
• Portrays exemplary good behavior by implementing both the IRC Way and humanitarian principles at home and in the society.
• Is available to perform any other ad hoc task deemed useful by his / her direct supervisor or by the IRC.
• Contributes to the production of the weekly report and the monthly report or any other reports requested by the supervisor.
• Actively participates in weekly WPE team meetings as well as in internal and external trainings, team retreats and other meetings or workshops.
• Collaborates closely and effectively with those responsible for other sections/field bases/communities within the WPE program.
• Performs other tasks requested by the WPE program hierarchy.

Other functions

• Ensures that all activities will be implemented in accordance with IRC operational policies.
• Any other additional tasks assigned by the supervisor for the good of the organization