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Job Title
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Farm Management Advisor
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Project
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Volunteers for Healthy Animals and Healthy Communities (V4H2)
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Country
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Kenya
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Partner Organization
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Meru Dairy Co-operative Union
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Placement Location
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Mid-sized town
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Duration
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3 to 6 weeks (flexible)
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Start Date
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January/February 2018
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Pre-Departure Training Dates
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VWB covers the full cost of a 5-day pre-departure training session
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Eligibility Requirements
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Open to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada only
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Language Requirements
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Essential:
English
Desirable:
Kiswahili, Kimeru
Note: Translation support will be required/provided when communicating with farmers.
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Academic Qualifications
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Essential:
- Degree in Farm Management, Animal production or related field/experience
Desirable:
- Knowledge of dairy cow nutrition, calf rearing, housing and hygiene
- Knowledge of cow care and comfort
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Professional Background/Skills
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Essential:
- Experience in dairy farm management
- Effective cross-cultural communication skills
- Commitment to the principles of volunteer cooperation and familiarity with participatory approaches to development, including the promotion of gender equality, good governance and environmental sustainability
Desirable:
- Experience in record keeping and business management
- Experience in dairy management, cow nutrition
- Previous international work / volunteer experience in Kenya or other developing country
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Placement Goal and Objectives (Preliminary)
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Overall Goal:
To support dairy groups and their farmer members to produce saleable milk and improve their economic well-being.
Objectives:
- To provide training to extension officers, local farmers, the partner organisation, and animal health technicians in animal nutrition, watering, disease diagnosis, treatment and housing;
- Assist in development of champion farmers and demonstration farms;
- To collect baseline information on nutrition, now health, local disease treatment.
All volunteers are expected to promote gender equality, environmental sustainability and good governance within their placement responsibilities.
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Volunteer Terms and Conditions
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VWB covers the majority of the costs of being an overseas volunteer, including:
- Travel and accommodation for the five-day pre-departure training course in Ottawa
- Return airfare to placement country and visa/permit costs
- The cost of required vaccinations, anti-malarial medication and overseas emergency travel health insurance
- A modest monthly living allowance (MLA) that will be paid into the volunteer’s bank account in Canada. The MLA is designed to be sufficient to cover simple housing, basic food requirements and other typical monthly living expenses.
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Fundraising
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VWB expects each volunteer to raise $500 prior to departure with a goal of $2,000 towards the overall project costs. In addition, VWB/VSF offers an award for the top volunteer fundraiser of the year.
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How to Apply
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If interested, please send your resume and a covering letter which clearly indicate the position you are applying for, and how your qualifications meet the requirements of this posting. Resume and cover letters can be sent to: Allyson Fradella at . If you need more information, please contact Volunteer Program Manager Kristen Rodrigues at .
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About Veterinarians Without Borders
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In the global south, more than 90 per cent of food animals are raised by subsistence farmers yet these small-scale livestock producers, the majority of whom are women, have very limited access to quality and affordable animal health services. Aside from the risks associated with the loss of valuable livestock who provide important protein and/or income for poor households, zoonotic diseases that can be passed from animals to humans offer a very real threat to human health on a wider scale.
Veterinarians without Borders/Vétérinaires sans Frontières (VWB/VSF-Canada) works for, and with, communities in need to foster the health of animals, people and the environments that sustain us. VWB/VSF-Canada works nationally and internationally to train animal health workers, increase food security, and improve animal & public health. VWB/VSF-Canada provides overseas volunteer placements for veterinarians and other animal & public health professionals.
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