Social Worker- Children of Africa

Children of Africa Foundation was born in Lugano in 2002 with the aim of supporting children and young people of the weakest social groups in Kenya, with particular attention to the female gender, guaranteeing them access to quality education, health and food protection, psychological accompaniment and support to families of origin. The foundation is seeking to employ a social worker in;

Department: Rural Villages

Working Time: Full Time, Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with frequent travels

Direct Supervisor: Project Coordinator / Project Manager

Location: Ukunda

Contract: 1 year, renewable

Compensation: From 18,000 to 24,000 KSHS – based on experience

Starting Date: 01/01/2022

The social worker is responsible for managing the families and children supported through distance sponsorship, following the children through their education, supporting their emotional, mental and physical well-being and supporting the family, making sure they are fulfilling their role correctly and following them in carrying out small income-generating activities.

The work of planning, coordinating and reporting occurs from the office and the work of implementing activities, monitoring and identifying needs occurs in the field.

Key Responsibilities

Planning, coordination and implementation of family support activities, which include:

• Identification of possible families to be included in the program
• Placement of children in school (school fees payment, purchase of school books, personal effects and uniforms)
• Constant follow-up of school performance and of the host institution (school visits, meeting with school principal and class teachers)
• Organize and implement home visits of the beneficiaries
• Hold regular meetings with the parents’ group aimed also at identifying needs, strengths and weaknesses of the community
• Hold / organize possible empowerment training sessions, aimed at empowering families and children on key issues
• Management and implementation of income-generating activities for families
• Identifying needs and proposing activities / corrective actions
• Schedule and undertake counseling sessions with children and parents where needed
• Establish relations with local authorities and relevant stakeholders with the goal of create a solid network and referral system
• Organize and arrange regular medical check up per year
• Define and manage an annual and monthly budget in collaboration with the accountant and the project coordinator
• Monitoring and reporting

Essential Requirements

We are looking for an emotionally intelligent and empathetic social worker who is able to relate to our beneficiaries with the aim of improving their daily lives, within the specified standards and timeframe.

• Bachelor’s degree in Community Development and Social Work, related fields or equivalent level of experience in this field
• Minimum age of 24 years old
• Previous experience in a similar position
• Excellent leadership and empathic skills
• Excellent skills in context analysis and needs identification
• Excellent problem-solving, critical thinking and decision making skills
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• Cultural awareness
• Excellent communication, networking and negotiation skills
• Excellent level of English, both written and spoken
• Very good knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
• Knowledge of Google Drive is a plus