Communications Advisor | Malawi | Volunteer Internationally

Assignment Type: Canadian International Volunteer

Eligibility Requirements: Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada only

Assignment ID: VA-106922

Assignment Title: Communications Advisor

Partner: Tea Association of Malawi Limited

Country: Malawi

Duration: 4 to 6 months (flexible)

Time Commitment: Full-time

Assignment Context

Are you passionate about using communications to create social impact and empower young women globally? Do you have communications and international development skills to share?

As the Communications Advisor with the Tea Association of Malawi in Blantyre, Malawi, you will assist tocreate communication materials to increase the visibility of the tea sector’s gender mainstreaming programs. This is a unique opportunity to showcase your skills while contributing to women’s empowerment and sustainable development in Malawi.

Apply today to make an impact in the empowerment of women in the Malawi tea sector!

Roles and Responsibilities

-Enhance the social media strategy to increase reach, engagement, and storytelling impact

-Support content creation and scheduling of high-quality, consistent materials

-Monitor communication performance, analyze data, and provide actionable recommendations

-Conduct a comprehensive review of the organization’s website and improve content, usability, and relevance

-Highlight success stories of member estates, smallholder farmers, and impactful initiatives

-Promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, celebrating milestones and transformative programs

-Showcase Malawi Tea sector’s role in sustainable development and sector growth

-Integrate environmental sustainability and climate action perspectives in communications.

-Participate in pre-assignment training

-Participate in at least 3 public engagement initiatives with Canadian audiences before, during, or within 6 months after the end of their assignment. Volunteers will be equipped with the tools, training, funds, and support to achieve these goals. Volunteers must also report on each of their public engagment activities through our Volunteer Information Portal. Virtual chats and individual check-ins can be booked with the Senior Public Engagement Officer throughout the course of their assignment and during the 6 months following its completion to seek guidance and support with their public engagement activities.

-Canadian volunteers are required to do at least one activity that contributes to meeting a fundraising target of $1,500. The minimum requirement is met by each volunteer using our Volunteer Information Portal to report having sent one message to their network about their volunteer assignment that includes the link to the WUSC Shared Impact Fund webpage. This message also counts as one of their three required public engagement activities. Volunteers will be supported with the tools, training, and resources to achieve the fundraising goal.

-Submit reports as required by the partner organization and by WUSC.

Experience and Qualifications

-Experience developing and implementing communications strategies and work plans

Strong digital communications and social media skills

-Minimum two (2) years of relevant professional experience

-A commitment to gender equality, youth inclusion, and international volunteering

-Flexibility, adaptability, excellent interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity

-Experience with group facilitation and trainings, including content development

-Experience living and working internationally considered an asset

-Written and oral fluency in English.

Project Description

Volunteering for development is one of the important ways in which WUSC pursues its mission. The IGNI+E project, funded by Global Affairs Canada, supports over 70 partner organizations to advance gender equality and the economic empowerment of 1.2 million youth around the world. IGNI+E harnesses the knowledge, capacity and expertise of skilled Canadians through volunteer assignments and public engagement activities to assist partners in improving their performance, advocating for gender equality, and implementing more sustainable, innovative and inclusive initiatives and services for poor and marginalised youth, particularly young women. Overseas, our volunteers collaborate with a wide variety of partners, including enterprise and social enterprise development incubators, skills training centres, women’s organizations, and youth groups. In Canada, WUSC works with institutions and individuals to identify, prepare, and support volunteers who travel overseas to support our partners. Our network in Canada also works with WUSC to raise awareness among Canadians to inspire greater action on global development issues. Our collective focus is on sustainable and inclusive changes to create a better world for youth.

Partner Description

The Tea Association of Malawi (Ltd) is the representative body of all tea estates, tea companies, producers and processors, and it represents the interests of tea growers and producers in Malawi. Responsible for promoting all aspects of the tea industry and addressing all matters of potential concern by coordinating and communicating the interests of the Tea Industry in Malawi’s economy and maintains linkages with national and international associations. The Tea Association also disseminates information and assists members in answering questions about the industry and in working out any problems that they may encounter. Membership affords the opportunity to keep abreast of the latest tea trends and keep up-to-date on important governmental matters. To enable sustainable growth of the Malawian tea market as a whole, while guiding our membership through an ever changing external environment; it has created practices and mechanisms for issues relating to hired labor and smallholders that have significantly improved the terms and conditions on which the estate sector engages with both groups

Support Package

-Support and guidance from the WUSC Volunteer Mobilization Team prior to departure and from the WUSC Country Team while on assignment

-Pre-departure training to learn about the volunteering for development program, gain practical skills for living and working in an intercultural context and network with other volunteers

-In-country orientation upon arrival in country of assignment

-Language training in country of assignment, where required

-Modest monthly living and accommodation allowance

-Airfare to and from the assignment country

-Visa/work permit

-Pre-departure medical exam

-Health insurance

-Vaccinations and antimalarial medication

-Criminal record verification

-Vacation leave entitlement

-Debriefing after completion of assignment

-An incredible opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to global development, enhance your professional skills and participate in an experience of a lifetime!