Position Title: Peer Mentors

HIAS is an international non-profit organization that stands for a world in which refugees find welcome, safety, and opportunity. HIAS’ operation in Kenya was established in 2002 with the mission to serve the most vulnerable refugees through community-based protection including psychosocial support, GBV Prevention and Response, resilience building and the provision of durable solutions.

Organizationally, HIAS is guided by its Refugee Rights Framework. This rights-based approach, based on international human rights and humanitarian and refugee law and practice, provides a programming framework for HIAS’ focus on refugee protection. HIAS’ programming impact seeks to ensure that forcibly displaced people become contributors to society through the realization of their legal and civil rights and social and economic rights, to include:

1. the right to protection from harm, violence and discrimination,
2. the right to recovery from the shock of displacement, and 3) the right to economic self-sufficiency and inclusion.

The overall goal of HIAS’ global GBV Prevention and Response programming is for forcibly displaced refugee women, girls, sexual and gender minorities to pursue their potential and to access their human and legal rights, free from violence and oppression. This means HIAS GBV programming works to ensure;

• Forcibly displaced women, girls, sexual and gender minorities face a reduced risk of GBV,
• Survivors of sexual and physical violence have access to coordinated psychosocial, health, and legal services,
• Family, community, and institutions support refugee women, girls, sexual and gender minorities in accessing and using their rights.

HIAS uses a survivor-centered, community-based approach. Our programs consider the voices and needs of survivors and prioritize their leadership in program design and implementation. HIAS works with communities’ natural systems in order to optimize support for survivors, building partnerships to promote and protect the rights of survivors, women, men, girls, sexual and gender minorities. This approach enables HIAS to meet the safety, psychosocial, economic, and justice needs of survivors; facilitate their access to appropriate care; and empower communities to lead efforts that challenge beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that perpetuate or condone violence against women, girls, sexual and gender minorities in the community.

HIAS Kenya seeks to recruit 20 peer mentors to assist in provision of protection interventions for survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the community.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in the mobilization of community members for community forums and sensitization campaigns in the communities like international Women’s Day and 16 Days of Gender Activism.
• Support in sharing of information to the community on Gender-Based Violence in various project forums.
• Assist with translation for refugees in the community during activities as may be required.
• Accompany refugees who are survivors of GBV to access medical services at the hospital, legal or security services at the police station.
• Provide sensitization to the refugee community on GBV prevention, risk reduction and where to access response services.
• Identify and refer survivors of GBV for appropriate response services and provide regular follow-up on each case.
• Monitor and document GBV trends in the community and report on the same to designated HIAS staff.
• Attend regular supervision meetings and other meetings as required.

Skills & Competencies

• Demonstrated experience on working with survivors of GBV.
• Should have an understanding of the minimum services required for a survivor of GBV.
• Should have skills in Psychological First Aid.
• Basic literacy and numeracy skills.
• Good working knowledge of the community needs and gaps.
• Ability to work with members of the community with little or no supervision.
• Computer literacy.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong training skills in community development and working with survivors of GBV will be an added advantage.

Experience

No less than three months’ work experience, preferably with an NGO. Experience in the field of refugee protection and assistance a distinct advantage.

Language

Proficiency in English or Kiswahili. Proficiency in English is MANDATORY and will be an added advantage.