Organization Overview
Tostan is a US 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in Senegal in 1991 in order to educate and empower Africans who have had little or no access to formal schooling. Tostan’s community-led program, the Community Empowerment Program (CEP), has achieved results including: declared abandonment of the practices of female genital cutting and child/forced marriage by thousands of villages; increased enrollment in formal education for children; increased use of problem solving and literacy skills to generate income and further develop local economies; and increased access to healthcare.
Roles & Responsibilities
Tostan has long benefited from the talents of international volunteers who each year brings a wide range of skills to the organization. Tostan is now building on this tradition and addressing key organizational needs at a regional level through the creation of the position of Regional Volunteer (RV). Since January 2008, Tostan has been placing RVs in four regions of Senegal: Kaolack, Tambacounda, Kolda, and Fouta
- Assist staff to professionally present Tostan’s work in the region and maintain a historical overview of Tostan’s presence in the region.
- Collaborate with regional staff to gather regional statistics (from government statistics, UNICEF studies, etc.) and create promotional materials including brochures, maps, power point presentation, bulletin boards, etc.
- Support regional staff to generate monthly activities reports for national coordinators
- Work with staff to create/update office history document
- Portray villages and individuals participating in programming in region through written descriptions, photography, and video.
- Help regional team to develop a media relations strategy and manage key media contacts at the regional level (radio, local news bureaus, etc.).
- Build staff capacity
- Collaborate to edit and expand upon staff reports and work with staff to explain changes made
- Demonstrate use of self-guided training materials Demonstrate completion of other tasks to personnel
- Train staff in use basic functions of Microsoft Word and Excel
- Collaborate with staff to improve their English language skills
- Assist staff to create and maintain an electronic database of regional project reports, portraits, declaration documents, etc.
- Support staff to submit quality, timely reports about regional projects
- Assist staff to communicate with donors to determine formatting for and type of information to include in reports
- Assist staff to document donor needs for future use
- Translate and expand upon quarterly and annual reports
- Review grant proposals and collect information from staff in the field in order to write quarterly and annual reports
- Instruct staff how to post final reports to Tostan’s server
- Provide staff access to, instruct staff in use of, and assist staff with maintenance of Tostan project database posted on Google Documents
- Help create sustainable systems through which staff submit reports before deadlines
- Improve public relations and increase opportunities for collaboration with regional NGOs, Peace Corps Volunteers, government officials, health administrators, etc. by means of direct communications, radio broadcasts, etc.
- Improve organization-wide communication
- Add contact information for Tostan’s regional coordinators and informational secretaries to Tostan’s all-staff contact list posted on Google Documents
- Update existing contact information on list
- Train regional informational secretaries how to maintain list
- Train regional staff in the basic functions of Skype, e-mail, Google Documents, Google Groups, and Tostan’s server in Thiès
- Train regional personnel who receive Tostan.org e-mail addresses how to transfer their contacts from their old e-mail accounts and use the new account
Location
Senegal
Key Qualifications & Selection Criteria
Education
- Bachelors degree or current enrollment in Bachelors program; studies in International Development, Education, Gender Studies, other social science, Communications, Business, Management, Finance, or related field
Language Proficiency
- Written and oral competency in French
Knowledge & Experience
- Experience working with a non-governmental organization / non-profit OR prolonged experience in a developing country/region
- Thorough understanding of Tostan’s programs and methodologies
- Strong communication and organizational skills
- Office management skills
- Strong written skills
- Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; experience with Access or other database software preferred
- Project management experience preferred
- Knowledge of Gmail, Google Groups, Google Documents, Google Calendars, and other internet programs preferred
Characteristics
- Ability to work independently, to self-motivate, and to simultaneously manage multiple tasks
- Flexibility adapting to a multicultural environment, to be considerate of limited resources, and to adapt work priorities to the immediate needs of Tostan and the project or donor
How to Apply
See the Volunteer and Intern page on the website for more information on how to apply.
Tostan is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applicants without unlawful considerations of race, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
