About the Aga Khan Foundation

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), was established by His Highness the Aga Khan in 1967. AKF is a private, not-for-profit international development agency that seeks to provide long-term solutions to society’s problems. AKF brings together human, financial, and technical resources to address challenges faced by the poorest and most marginalised communities in the world. AKF has a special focus on investing in human potential, expanding opportunity, and improving the overall quality of life, especially for women and girls. AKF’s primary areas of focus are; Education; Early Childhood Development (ECD); Health and Nutrition; Civil Society; Agriculture and Food Security; and Economic Inclusion.

AKF is committed to improving the quality of life of all boys and girls, women and men in the communities we work. To achieve this, AKF delivers multi-sector programming in the above sectors and assumes a holistic and systems approach ensuring all interventions are globally informed, locally rooted, are embedded in government and community interests and structures, and work to promote social inclusion, equity, and pluralism.

About the Madrasa Early Childhood Development Program

Madrasa Early Childhood Development Program, Uganda (MECPU) is an initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation that delivers ECD caregivers/teacher training services, as well as community-based programmes and policy engagement with government and other stakeholders.

MECP was first established in Kenya in 1986 with the objective of enabling communities to establish and sustain their own Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres and initiatives to prepare and enable girls and boys to go to school, stay in school, and learn.

MECPU delivers ECD caregivers/teacher training through the Madrasa Early Childhood Development Institute (MECDI), which was established to provide quality professional development courses for both pre-service and in-service ECD caregivers/teacher trainees. Through its community-based programmes and policy engagement, MECPU supports parenting programs and ECD policy development, dissemination and implementation, and analysis.

Position Description

The Project Officers will be responsible for supporting programs currently being implemented in Yumbe; Foundations for Learning, LEGO and Highgate. The Officers will perform their duties under the close supervision of the ECD Program Coordinator. The Project Officers will be based in West Nile Region.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Organize center based training courses for caregivers undertaking their professional courses in the Institute.
  • Deliver site based mentoring and coaching activities for the caregivers undertaking the professional teacher training program
  • Providing technical support, mentoring and coaching to the teachers undertaking the Diploma course and Teach like a Champion Teacher/caregivers in Arua or Yumbe
  • Organise training including both Centre based and site based mentoring for CMCs to support caregivers undertaking the training courses in the target project area.
  • Participate in District level events that are geared towards supporting ECD
  • Support the distribution of materials including but not limited to ‘Let’s Make a Toy Play Boxes’ to households with children aged 3-6.
  • Follow-up families to ensure they utilize all the materials to facilitate children’s continued learning.
  • Organise and conduct activities including workshops and review meetings for local government leaders, teachers and parents geared towards supporting ECD.
  • Provide timely accurate activity reports including lessons learnt, success stories and challenges with implementation.
  • Engages with MERL/M&E team during data collection, analysis and dissemination of major ongoing findings.
  • Routinely monitors all ongoing project implementation activities.
  • Conducts regular post-training support including monitoring and assessments of project performance, and execute continuous remedial coaching and mentoring for teachers, head teachers, parents, community and government field staff.
  • Perform other relevant duties as and when assigned by or via the Programme Coordinator

Required Qualifications and Experience:

  • A Bachelor’s degree in ECD/ECCE
  • At least 2-3 years’ experience of working as an ECD programme Officer. Working with communities on promotion of ECD will be an added advantage.
  • Demonstrable experience with adult learning facilitation
  • Experience managing stake holders at district level, e.g. schools, communities, local government etc and mobilization skills.
  • Fluent in one or more of the following three local languages: Kakwa, Lugbar and Aringa.
  • An excellent command of spoken and written English, including report writing and computer skills, especially MS Word and Excel.
  • Willingness to work and reside in remote districts in West Nile
  • Ability to ride a motorcycle will be an added advantage.
  • Adherence to AKF’s values and safeguarding policy.
  • Impeccable honesty and work ethics
  • Personal commitment to working as reliable, honest, & trustworthy member of the MECPU team

How to Apply

Candidates interested in this unique career opportunity with Madrasa Early Childhood Program should submit a two-page cover letter and a maximum three-page CV including the names and contact information of three professional referees by 4:30pm on 27th January 2022.

Click on the link to apply: www.akdn.org/careers

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

“The Madrasa Early Childhood Program is an affiliate of AKF which Is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is Committed to Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children and Vulnerable Adults and Expects all Staff and Partners to Share this Commitment.”

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