WPE Sewing and Handicraft Trainer

Background/IRC Summary:

the Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Today, 13.4 million people in Syria - more than half of the country's population - are in need of humanitarian assistance with needs increasingly being exacerbated by economic decline. Of these, 6.8 million are refugees and asylum-seekers who have fled the country. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes, and infrastructure will take years to repair.

IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis a rapidly expanding portfolio, supported by more than 1000+ staff in Syria Country Program. IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, early childhood development, education, women’s protection and empowerment, non-food items and food distribution, cash assistance, water and sanitation, protection and rule of law, and livelihood programming. Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing modern humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding, and coordination.

Job Overview/Summary:

As part of its Syria response, the IRC has programs to support women and girls throughout Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa governorates in Syria. The WPE Community Mobiliser works within the women and girls’ safe spaces and the community. They will disseminate information to targeted women and girls and their communities using a variety of methods as appropriate for the context and is responsible for ensuring that women and girls have access to and receive essential information in line with key messages developed by the program. They will also assist the Women’s Center Officer, Adolescent Girls Assistant, WPE Case Workers and activity facilitators in engagement with focus groups and other psychosocial activities. The position will also facilitate access to services, including making safe and ethical referrals to social workers.

Responsibilities:

• The ability to conduct pre- and post-assessments for women and girls to determine the appropriate level.
• The ability to work with women and girls of all ages and divide the beneficiaries according to their age and knowledge levels into groups.
• Teaching women and girls how to work with fabrics of all kinds, with a commitment to using materials and colours that suit the culture and context.
• The ability to give women and girls different techniques of weaving and manual work in accordance with the level of knowledge and life needs, to do the follow ups and the ability to do creativity workshops.
• Teaching women and girls basic sewing details and how to take measurements using measuring tape
• Teaching the girls drawing sketches on sewing paper for all the patterns that fit the context.
• Teaching girls to design the appropriate model for the context.
• Teaching women and girls how to cut cloth to make different models.
• Teaching women and girls how to hand sewing using stitch types (running stitch, baste stitch, back stitch, invisible stitch, catch stitch, whip stitch, blanket stitch) and how to sew buttonholes.
• Teaching women and girls how to use sewing machine.
• Teaching women and girls to combine knitting and sewing skills to makes all models the appropriate culture and context.
• Teaching women and girls the installation of buttons in different ways
• Teaching women and girls how to recycle and make use of the remnants of old fabrics and clothes to make new useful things.
• Teaching women and girl’s handicraft and recycling to make new suitable things out of old materials.
• Teaching girls’ basic embroidery stitches
• Making accessories from beads that fit the context.
• Embroidery on canvas
• Using Embroidery hoops and frames for satin ribbon embroideries
• Knitting using single crochet needle or two needles, Tricho
• Prepare a curriculum for three levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced)
• Achieving a high standard of care, safety, and education
• The ability to measure women's development and progress.
• sending weekly and monthly report to the supervisor.

Other duties and responsibilities

• Complete attendance sheets for relevant activities and contribute to monthly activity reports, according to guidance provided by the Women’s Center Officer, and supply information on a weekly basis to the Women’s Center Officer in-line with deadlines.
• Maintain positive coordination and relationships with partner and other sector staff. 
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.