Social Reintegration Officer, AMIMO – Associação de mineiros Moçambicanos (Mozambique Miners Association), Based in Inhambane, Mozambique - MOZ006-001

The main role of the placement is to support and develop the skills the AMIMO leadership and project staff through training, mentoring and advising. The work will involve capacity building in planning, fundraising for social reintegration of miners (dismissed from mining industries of South Africa), formal training, monitoring and follow-up and evaluation.

Country:   top of page

Mozambique is situated on the Southeast Coast of Africa . To the East is the Indian Ocean; Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia are to the North; to the West, Zimbabwe and South Africa; and to the South, Swaziland and South Africa .

The total area of Mozambique is 799 380 km2 from North to South. To the East it has a coastline with the Indian Ocean for over 2515km. The more South we go the narrower the land becomes, its widest point being the Central Northern region, between the coast and the point where the rivers Aruangua and Zambeze meet. The narrowest southern point, in the Namaacha region is only 47,5km wide.

The highest point of the country is in the mountainous region located by the border. For example, Massururero on the slopes of Manica and Sofala is 2436 meters high, Picos Namuli has an altitude of 2419 meters and Serra de Gorongosa is 2000 meters high.

Mozambique has been the home of various peoples and cultures, including the Bantu from Central Africa , Arabs, Indian and Europeans.

Mozambique has always made its mark at international level in the areas of architecture, art, literature and poetry

The climate of Mozambique, influenced by the monsoons from the Indian Ocean and the hot current of the Mozambique Canal, is generally tropical and humid. The dry season, in the Centre/North lasts for about four to six months, whereas in the South, the dry tropical climate lasts between six to nine months.

The rain season is between October to April.

Average temperatures are around 25 in the South and 30 in the North. Highest temperatures are normally registered during the rain season.

The Mozambique coast faces the Indian Ocean and because of its climate, warm waters and vast beach area is rich in many marine species, some of which are unfortunately in danger of extinction.

In the North the beaches are mainly rocky, whereas in the Centre, situated near the river mouths, we find what can be described as dry riverbed beaches bordered by extensive mangroves. The sandy beaches are to be found in the South, with high dunes covered with low rough vegetation.

The best known beaches along the coast noted for their visitor oriented infra-structures are: Pemba , Bazaruto, Bilene, Inhaca, Inhambane Marracuene Morrangulo, Ponta de Ouro, Ponta Malongane, Tofo, Xai Xai Zongoene Ilha de Mocambiqe, Fernao Veloso in Nacala, Chocas in Mussurili Vilanculos and Inhassoro.

Duties and Responsibilities   top of page

The Development Worker will contribute to the improvement of AMIMO’s general institutional capacity by:

• Identify strengths and weaknesses in the AMIMO administration and management systems in Inhambane province;
• Identify and propose administration and management systems and procedures;
• Organize training activities for the AMIMO Board and volunteers to be able to implement and manage the selected systems and procedures;
• Transfer skills and share strategies for fundraising;
• Assist AMIMO staff with project development, strategic planning, and reporting;
• Monitor the process of the activities.

Assist the AMIMO leadership to develop a monitoring system for its HIV-AIDS programs. These responsibilities include:

• Determine an appropriate monitoring system;
• Identify the indicators of performance;
• Develop/adapt survey tools;
• Field-test the tools;
• Oversee the data processing and analysis;
• Assist the AMIMO leadership and project management in the interpretation of the results.

Assist the project staff to identify and implement improved methodologies to change the behaviour of active miners and to involve related target groups – miners’ families and communities, and sex workers in Inhambane province:

• Assist in the training of the HIV-AIDS activists (within HIV projects);
• Assist the activists develop sensitization activities to be delivered to the miners, families and widows;
• Work with AMIMO staff to collect HIV related information and net-work with other Organizations working in HIV;
• Integrate a clear understanding of gender into all HIV programs.

Contribute to the improvement of the economic wealth of ex-miners and widows:

• Support AMIMO’s on-going membership drive (strategies and logistics);
• Identify income generation opportunities for long-term sustainability (these should be like small scale business ventures owned by the communities, rather than donor dependent projects);
• Work with AMIMO’s staff to carry out training with the target group about managing entrepreneurial activities;
• Monitor income generation project activities.

Person Specification   top of page

The qualities required for this placement are:

• Patient to be able to guide people in discovering, learning and doing things for themselves.
• Flexibility to be able to work with people living under extreme precarious conditions.
• Ability to work in a bureaucratic system.
• Good communicator and able to adapt to different cultural backgrounds.
• ability to work alone or in a team.

Education: University degree in management, social or health sciences or related discipline.

Experience: At least 3 years of experience in project management combined with advisory work with associations, preferably in a developing country.

Skills required and desired:

• Knowledge of project management in a developing country context.
• Fund raising / resource mobilisation experience
• Ability to identify community needs by the use of participatory appraisal methods.
• Capability to apply the theoretical and practical methods of the associations.
• Practical experience in adult training.
• Ability and willingness to work with people living with HIV/AIDS.
• Ability to write periodic concise reports.
• Ability to research and data collection mainly information related with miners rights
• Computer literacy in Microsoft word and Excel is essential.
• Working knowledge of the Portuguese language or ability to learn very quickly.

In addition to providing development workers to our partner organisations , Skillshare International also works on policy and advocacy activities to reduce poverty, injustice and inequality. Skillshare International development workers are a key resource for this area of work during their placements and when they return. Development workers will have the opportunity to work with Skillshare International on a variety of activities in different areas of work, including communications, campaigns and development awareness; and should expect some contact during their time in placement.

Placement Information   top of page

The Objectives of AMIMO are to:

• Promote and protect the rights of Mozambican miners, individual and collective interests before public and private authorities, in the country or abroad, either working in the country or abroad.
• Promote and protect, by extension, the rights and welfare of miners' families, with respect to labour, indemnification, and the deceased members funerals.
• Training and professional assistance; Facilitate and strengthen capacities for non-active miners' social reinstatement; to pursue any other interest whatsoever, at the request of the miner or that that the Association may deem necessary.
• Assist the mineworker and his family to get good health care and medical assistance.
• Safeguard the miner's social security, life insurance and protection against work accidents.

AMIMO was formed in 1996

Other Information   top of page

Previous involvement with other international NGOs/voluntary agencies: CUSO (Canadian volunteer providing organisation) and VSO (originally British but now an international volunteer providing organisation) are traditional partners and have provided AMIMO with more than 6volunteers in the past. There may therefore be other expatriate volunteer/development workers in AMIMO.

Currently there are 2 volunteers, 1 from CUSO and the other one from VSO.

The volunteer for CUSO is based in Maputo but he has to travel to Inhambane because they do not have a volunteer there. Therefore they have asked asked Skillshare to provide them with a volunteer who can be placed at Inhambane.

Languages: The official language in Mozambique is the Portuguese, which is the working language. For the candidate that does not speak Portuguese, a language-training program will be provided by Skillshare.

AMIMO’s mission statement

• To unite, inspire and educate our members.
• To render effective and quality service to our members.

To ensure that members participate actively in the association's activities and determine the destiny of miners.

Current activities include:

• Organizational capacity-building, focused on a membership drive to increase members (and quotas) and create a sustainable base from which to operate, and develop the skills of the nucleus of AMIMO reps based in mines
• Establishing offices in areas of high movement of miners (Ressano Garcia)
• HIV/AIDS (prevention, education)
• legal literacy programs in mines
• project fundraising (HIV and income-generation – facilitating small enterprise start-up by former miners)
• promote cultural significance of miners to Mozambique , and history of miners within Mozambique (for miners and the general public)
• AMIMO is currently dealing with the HIV-AIDS with its members, 40 volunteer activists are counselling the miners at Gaza province at TEBA (Xai-Xai), Miners Recruitment centre, Lionde, Mazivila, Muzingane and Chibuto.
• AMIMO is running a Dressmaking school in Xai-Xai, where widows learn sewing and agriculture for self help funded by Irish Embassy, Save the Children (HACI) and VSO respectively.
• Assistance in the process of customs clearance Construction of Ceramic project in 3 de evereiro – Maputo
• Project Hanya Ntsongwana (Helping orphans and vulnerable children and food production)

Future plans.

• Expansion of AMIMO programmes to other Provinces
• Incorporation of the miners in the Social Security System.
• Expand the education and orphans and vulnerable children projects
• Develop more income generation activities to help miners and widows.
• Initiate a Miners against HIV and AIDS program for 5 years.

Work Environment: It is important to greet people. The work environment is often based on oral agreements, written agreements, if accepted, could minimize future misunderstands. Yelling does not work. Dressing can be informal and simple but should be neat and clean.

The Development Worker will be managerial responsibility for the Community activists

Terms and Conditions: Hours of work per day (Monday to Friday):

Times of work: 7:30 to 15:30 without break for lunch. Every alternative Saturday: If need be

Annual leave entitlement: The development workers are entitled to 21 working days of annual leave

Office facilities: AMIMO has office equipment and materials like: computers with Internet, printers including scanners, photocopy machines, telephones and fax.

Child Protection: Working with vulnerable population in development countries, Skillshare International is particularly committed to the protection of children. We use strict screening procedures for development workers; we have a Child protection policy and a guiding Code of Conduct which applies to all development workers.

Benefits: Skillshare international offers, a modest monthly living allowance, flights to the placement and return, medical cover, and pre and post placement grants to assist with relocation. The living allowance is adequate to cover your living costs whilst in the country of placement but not adequate for savings or meeting other costs you may have in your country of residence (home).

How to apply: Please apply online by clicking on the link ‘Application Form.’ If you do not wish to apply online, please contact +44 (0) 116 257 6616 or by email: recruitment@skillshare.org requesting a Recruitment Pack quoting reference (MOZ006 - 001). Please note that we do not accept CVs.

(Closing date for applications is Friday 18th April 2008)

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