Agriculture, Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Organization: SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

Country: Zimbabwe

Field location: Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Office: SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in Masvingo

Closing date: Sunday, 28 February 2021

Company Description

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in Zimbabwe is recruiting for two (2) incumbents to fill the roles of Project Field Officers in Masvingo / Mwenezi.

SNV is implementing the Zambuko Livelihood Initiative project in Masvingo and Mwenezi districts of Masvingo Province. The objective of the project is to strengthen and diversify livelihoods among poor Zimbabweans vulnerable to recurrent crises. The project seeks to improve smallholder production, the governance of community resources, and access to finance and markets, and to strengthen and expand on-farm and off-farm livelihood opportunities. As a result, households will be less vulnerable to recurrent crisis as assets are better utilized and incomes increase. This projects also strengthens social cohesion, integrate nutrition, and empower women and youth. Zambuko leverages on ongoing asset-creation activities funded by USAID - FFP and others and build livelihood capacities to complement these investments, creating a holistic package of support, resulting in durable resilience impacts for economic growth. The project represents medium-term transition support for households, to help them graduate from humanitarian assistance and pave the way to sustainable livelihoods.

SNV is the leading partner in the establishment Village Savings and Loans (VSL) groups, fostering financial behavior change through financial education training, development of smallholder farmers' capacity to access financial and output markets and the promotion of Post-Harvest Handling and Storage technologies to reduce post-harvest losses.

Job Description

Stakeholder and community orientation and sensitisation;

Mobilize target community to fully participate in all aspects of the project;

Provide VSL, FaaB, Marketing and Postharvest handling & storage Training to beneficiaries;

Ensure VSL groups are setup and actively functioning and working;

Work closely with cluster facilitators to implement VSL activities and to continue monitoring and supporting the groups;

Identifies and capacitates VSL groups on Income generating activities;

Provide business development and financial literacy training to VSL clients;

Responsible for monitoring and evaluation of VSL activities in targeted communities;

Ensure tracking of VSL group performance through MIS system;

Facilitate market linkages between farmer groups and commodity buyers;

Tags access to finance agricultural economics behavior change business development economic growth financial literacy humanitarian assistance monitoring and evaluation post harvest losses postharvest social sciences sustainable livelihoods value chain

Develop and coordinate strong relationships with relevant value chain actors (e.g. Traders, input supply companies, processors, producer marketing groups) with guidance from SNV Project Advisor and Project Coordinator;

Conducts community capacity building, such as training of committees, Cluster facilitators and market facilitators;

Prepare monitoring and progress reports, which include updates on key activities/achievements using quantitative data as well as qualitative information;

Build strong relationships with community leaders, local authorities and beneficiaries; Represent SNV at District level meetings.

Qualifications

Diploma/Degree in Agriculture, Agricultural economics, Marketing or Social sciences;

Experience in NGO work, and working with private sector is an added advantage;

Applicants must be able to ride a motorcycle and possess a class 3 or 4 driver's license;

Minimum of 2 years' experience in initiating and supporting the formation and effective functioning of VSL groups;

Knowledge and experience in linking farmers to markets;

Ability to administer adult learning, training, coaching and mentoring skills;

Good communication skills;

Computer literacy - including Microsoft word and excel.

Additional Information

Application Procedure

Duration of contract: One year