RWANDA / Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village
One Year Volunteer Position: Farm Business Manager
The Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) is a safe and structured residential community for orphaned children in Rwanda. The village, which opened its doors to its first class of 125 students in December 2008, is a place of hope, where traumatized youth can “dry their tears” (Agahozo) and “live in peace” (Shalom).
ASYV is currently recruiting a group of 11 diverse and dedicated volunteers to spend one year volunteering at our youth village in Rwanda. The service year goes begins in December 2010. Volunteers directly engage with the ASYV community, using their skills and talents to help this blossoming community.
For Volunteers who are accepted to the program, ASYV covers round-trip travel expenses, housing, a monthly stipend for basic living expenses, a small end-of-year bonus, and a health insurance package.
Requirements:
– College degree or equivalent and proven academic achievement – Strong leadership and communication skills – Experience in formal/informal education or social welfare is a plus
Application and Selection Process To be considered for this exciting volunteer opportunity, please submit a completed application with three recommendations. To request an application, please contact Rachel Olstein Kaplan at rachel@asyv.org.
While you can certainly state a placement preference, it is to your advantage to remain open to various possible assignments.
The Agro-Business Manager will both manage and promote Agahozo-Shalom’s growing farm business, but also involve the students in this activity by advising the farm club and Saturday morning farm work. The farm business manager will use and enhance Agahozo-Shalom’s resources in organic farming, cattle herding, chicken raising and more; he/she will incorporate contemporary innovative trends, with the overall objective of promoting wide-ranging knowledge and resourcefulness. He or she will work with the village leadership and farm manager to establish contacts around Rwanda and expand our business ventures in order to help make Agahozo-Shalom sustainable. He or she will also work closely with the Informal Education director to ensure student participation in educational and skill-building activities on the farm.
Qualifications:
* Strong background in advanced farming, including irrigation and organic methods.
* Experience promoting and managing businesses
* Industriousness and fondness for manual activities, especially cultivation and animal husbandry.
* Good oral and written communication skills in English.
* Able to relate and adapt to a different culture and work ethics
* Must be willing to work afternoons and evenings.
* A strong sense of responsibility and integrity.
* Excellent time management, team work abilities, organizational skills and ability to delegate work.
* A pedagogical and empathic approach to children and youth, and ideological affinity to Agahozo-Shalom’s philosophy and mission, especially educational ecology.
The Manager will
o Manage and promote ASYV’s growing farm business
o Expand current farm project and looking for areas of growth in order to help make Agahozo Shalom sustainable
o Work with permanent staff, to enhance and coordinate the organic farming and animal husbandry activities by: -Providing expertise on relevant contemporary practices, tools, equipment, methods and materials
-Balancing local customs and market demand with international trends and innovations
-Creating a list of supplies needed for the ongoing operation of the farm, and routines for their delivery through the acquisitions coordinator.
-Maximizing yields for self-sustainability and coordinating distribution (kitchen, sell, etc.)
o Work with the Farm Club Advisor and the Informal Education activities coordinator to instruct children in farm operations and schedule farm work for children,
o Employ an educational approach in promoting the students’ participation and enthusiasm for manual and farm labor, following Agahozo Shalom’s philosophy.
EXPIRED