Kenya: Education Officer

Organization: Xavier Project

Country: Kenya

Closing date: 15 May 2016

Profile

The vision of Xavier Project is for a world where everyone has the right to equal opportunities and protection wherever they live and whatever their background. This right is denied to refugees and we use education to change this. Education provides protection and is the best possible tool to help refugees to access equal opportunities. At Xavier Project we use pioneering education as the means to achieve our vision. We are promoting education for refugees in Kenya and Uganda in particular, so that they can have a positive difference on their communities, whether in their host countries or countries of origin.

Xavier Project has two departments each with their own strategic objective designed to meet this vision. The Education Department aims to increase access to relevant, quality formal education delivered in a safe environment for refugee children. The Tamuka Department aims to make vocational and life-long learning available to all refugees even in emergency situations, primarily through the use of ICT.

Xavier Project is registered as a local NGO in Uganda, an international NGO in Kenya and a company and charity in UK. All operations are in Kenya and Uganda, but a majority of funds are raised in UK. We have a three way partnership agreement between the branches of Xavier Project and one executive team primarily based in the Xavier Project headquarters in Nairobi. Xavier Project currently employs 28 permanent staff and has an annual income of $500,000 which has been increasing by 50% every year since its founding in 2008.

Background

Urban refugees in East Africa face unique challenges. Culturally, it is difficult to assimilate into their new communities as they can be victims of xenophobia and can struggle from language differences. They cannot easily find jobs in a saturated and often nepotistic job market. There are administrative barriers to economic sustainability such as the challenge of obtaining work permits, and the rejection of foreign qualifications from employers and institutions. At present many refugees in Nairobi or Kampala do not have access to quality, relevant education delivered in a safe environment and their opportunities in education lag behind those of their local counterparts. In both Kampala and Nairobi there are over 10,000 refugee children who are not in formal education, amounting to around 50% in Nairobi and 60% in Kampala. 80% of those in formal education are not happy with the quality of the education they are receiving.

Job Description and Expectations

Xavier Project is partnering with UNICEF to provide access to education to out of school children of primary school going age across Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado and Mombasa Counties. Through the partnership, we hope to provide access to education to over 7,000 out of school children and retain them in school. The Education Officer will support these schools in raising funds from local and international donors to cater for various school projects. The funds raised will be used to provide leverage for admission of identified out of school children and will directly support the schools. Note that this job does not involve raising funds for Xavier Project as an organisation but is more concerned with building the capacity of schools.

Xavier Project is looking for an Education Officer who will:

· Identify sources of income for government schools

· Continuously liaise with donors locally and internationally to keep them motivated to continue supporting the programme, either financially or through gifts in kind.

· Maintain updated records of donor information

· Take part in preparing fundraising proposals and budgets

· Record, monitor and report on financial progress

· Liaise with other education staff to identify schools in need of financial aid

· Participate in capacity building of Schools Board of Management on resource mobilization

The Education Officer will work in partnership with other agencies to ensure that resources are saved and collaboration is maximised. The Education Officer will work closely with the Xavier Project CEO Edmund Page who is a qualified teacher, and the Kenya Director of Education to develop good working practice.

Requirements

Essential:

· Must hold a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.

· Extensive experience of not less than 5 years with demonstrated success in fundraising in an NGO context.

· Excellent communication skills in English (both written and oral)

· Good knowledge of MS Office

· Ability to work sensitively with refugee population or demonstrated experience working with marginalised communities

· Excellent organisational skills

· Experience in managing budgets

· Willing to travel within Kenya

Desired:

• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline


• Competent in Kiswahili


• Experience in managing people from various backgrounds


• Experience working in a tough environment with vulnerable people


• Advanced experience working in the Kenyan Education sector


• Experience in writing reports and strategies


• Experience in government and private sector engagement


• Strong understanding of the challenges faced by urban refugees and other marginalised communities ·

How to apply:

Applications

Candidates interested in applying for this job should send their CV and a covering letter to jobs@xavierproject.org by May 15^th 2016. Applicants are urged to apply as soon as they can and not wait until the deadline if possible. The covering letter should be no more than one side of A4 and should describe the suitability of the candidate for the job as well as including reasons why working for Xavier Project interests them. Candidates should use email title KENYA EDUCATION OFFICER A. Please also include the names and contact details of two referees. Short-listed candidates will be contacted by May 21st. For more information on what we do please visit www.xavierproject.org Xavier Project is an equal opportunity employer and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability