The Role:
Street Child is seeking a dynamic, self-motivated and creative individual to undertake a three-month maximum placement in Sierra Leone on a voluntary basis as part of its Street Child Ambassadors program. This unique opportunity offers the chance to gain valuable, on-the-ground experience planning, setting up and monitoring a pilot after school programme.
The after school programme will aim to engage children in organized sports and recreational activities. Team activities and sports have proven social, psychological and health benefits and is a great way to build confidence. It also allows children to exercise their right to play. By engaging young people in such activities, the programme will work towards creating a safe, creative and fun environment for children outside of school hours.
In particular the programme will attempt to engage both boys and girls in sports and be a space that is both sensitive to and mindful of gender complexities. Our hope is that team sports and group activities can be something for everyone!
Key responsibilities will include:
- Planning and implementing afterschool activities for youth groups
- Training local staff and volunteers to facilitate activities
- Researching existing initiatives and possible interest in the programme
- Liaising with schools and community groups that have showed interest
- Liaising with Street Child members of staff in Sierra Leone and the UK
- Implementing the pilot project and monitoring the progress closely
- Evaluating the pilot project and making recommendations for further development
The Ideal Candidate Would Possess the Following Attributes:
- Excellent communication and leadership skills.
- Hard working, pro-active and professional work ethic.
- Experience working with young people in a sports or educational setting.
- Experience working in a diverse team
- Keen to gain experience working in Africa and be immersed in local culture.
- Strong desire to work closely with young people and encourage engagement in sports and recreation
- Independent and able to make initiative-based decisions.
The Terms:
The successful applicant must be prepared to live in Makeni or Bo. Food, accommodation and flights are at the applicant’s own expense. A more detailed breakdown of costs and expenses will be provided for those applicants selected for an interview. A fundraising commitment is also required.
The Charity:
Twelve years after its brutal civil war, Sierra Leone remains one of the poorest countries in the world. While this small and beautiful West African country is now at peace, our own research indicates that there are around 50,000 children relying upon the streets of Sierra Leone for their survival; since the Ebola crisis took hold of the region, our research shows that a further 15,000 children have been orphaned by Ebola. We aim to help them all.
Street Child is a volunteer-led charity that works with street kids, out of school children and, more recently, those affected by Ebola. Where necessary, we work towards reunifying children with their families but the ultimate goal for all of our projects is to help empower vulnerable children through sustainable access to education.
