Community Health Specialist

Peace Corps; Oregon (IL); On-site; USD 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading organization as a Community Health Outreach Volunteer in Cameroon. You'll work to improve maternal and child health, educate communities about HIV prevention, and collaborate with local partners. This role requires adaptability and a passion for community service. Volunteers will receive extensive training, including language skills, and will engage deeply with the local culture while living in rural settings.

Qualifications

• Master's or Bachelor's degree in relevant health fields.
• Experience in health promotion or community organizing.

Responsibilities

• Educate on maternal and child health and nutrition.
• Support interventions for HIV prevention.
• Collaborate with local health workers.

Skills

Health Promotion

Community Organizing

Flexibility

Education

Master of Public Health

Bachelor of Arts in Nutrition

Job description

Volunteers on this project can make an impact on an abbreviated timeline with a 15-month commitment. The first 10-12 weeks of the program will be Pre-Service Training followed by the duration of service. Peace Corps Volunteers serving in this assignment may have the option of adding a second year to their service.

Cameroon is often referred to as “Africa in miniature” due to its great cultural, linguistic and geographic variance. About 250 ethnic groups speak 200+ local languages. Peace Corps is seeking applicants who have the passion to join the ranks of nearly 4,000 volunteers who have served in Cameroon since 1962.

The goal of the Community Health program is to end preventable maternal and child deaths and attain an AIDS-free generation. Community Health Outreach Volunteers provide information on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV and related topics and also support people living with HIV, including adolescents and children. Volunteers work alongside their Cameroonian counterparts to support the following program objectives:
• Increase the knowledge and skills of women to adopt practices that contribute to a healthy pregnancy, safe delivery, and a healthy newborn;
• Increase the knowledge and skills of caregivers to keep children under five healthy;
• Improve health outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Health Volunteers work with their counterparts to:
• Educate individuals and groups on maternal and child health (MCH) and improved nutritional practices;
• Establish and strengthen support groups that address maternal and child health, nutrition, malaria, and/or HIV/AIDS;
• Design and implement behavior change communication activities such as HIV programming for adolescent girls and young women;
• Support interventions that seek to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and improve the quality of life of those infected with HIV and their care givers;
• Co-facilitate activities that achieve these objectives, such as:
o Small group sessions, home visits
o Mentorship to individuals and small groups
o Educational materials to enhance interactive
discussions during educational sessions
o Community mobilization activities to increase access
to related services
• Health Specialists may also: assist their health facilities to assess, plan, implement, monitor and/or evaluate public health interventions, including data management; build staff capacity or assist with proposal development in partnership with NGOs; train health professionals prenatal, infant, childhood health, and HIV-related topics.

Health Volunteers also collaborate with education and agriculture Volunteers and their counterparts to implement activities such as nutrition education and school gardens.
Peace Corps has developed tools to help you and your Cameroonian counterpart perform an initial needs assessment in a culturally appropriate way that will provide information about the needs of the community in relation to your program goal and objectives. Among the keys to success are integration into your community, which helps you develop and maintain meaningful relationships with community members, and your ability to communicate in the local language.

Required skills

Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
• Master of Public Health degree or Master of Arts/Master of Science degree in Public Health

OR

• Certified Physician Assistant or Public Health Nurse with expressed interest in public/community health

OR

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition, Health, or Nursing

Desired skills

• The most competitive candidates will have the following relevant qualifications and qualities:
• Knowledge of or experience in health promotion/education, disease prevention and/or behavior change communication;
• Knowledge of or experience in project planning, implementation and/or monitoring and evaluation;
• Desire to work in a rural setting to meet the community’s health needs
• Demonstrated leadership experience or experience in community organizing;
• Flexibility and adaptability,
• Strong willingness to learn French and other local languages in Cameroon.

Required language skills

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.While there is no French language prerequisite for Cameroon, it is recommended that Invitees engage in intensive study of French in the U.S. before departing for Cameroon. Peace Corps will provide suggestions for online learning options and offer limited virtual French lessons prior to arrival.

While many people in Cameroon speak English, in the regions where Peace Corps operates, French is the predominate language and a working knowledge is necessary to travel safely and interact effectively with colleagues, neighbors, and others. Trainees will receive over 100 hours of French language training and will be required to attain a functional French level (“Intermediate-Mid”) by the end of PST. Volunteers living in the Adamawa Region will also be expected to learn some Fulfulde during PST, as soon as they are informed about their site placement.

No benchmark is set for Fulfulde, but Volunteers are encouraged to leave training with at least survival communication skills.

Indigenous languages in Cameroon are quite localized. For easy integration and a successful service, Volunteers will be expected to learn basic communication skills in the local language of their site during the first year of service and will be provided with resources to do so. Volunteers are also provided with additional learning opportunities to continue improving their French skills and after they go to their sites

Living conditions

All volunteer assignments are in the French-speaking regions of Cameroon. Host communities range from approximately 500 to 40,000 people. Cameroon has a tropical climate with two main seasons: a wet season and a dry season. The climate varies by region, with the south being humid and equatorial and the north being semi-arid and dry.

Volunteer housing is modest and varies from community to community and region to region. Houses are usually built with cement blocks and a tin roof. Houses may have inside toilets and shower areas, but some have nearby or attached access to a private pit latrine and bathing area. Many houses do not have electricity or running water. Volunteers may need to use solar lamps for lighting. Water may have to be collected from nearby water sources. All water must be filtered before drinking and filters will be provided. While many Volunteers may have limited or no access to the internet, all Volunteer sites should have cell phone coverage within the community. A Peace Corps-subsidized local cell phone can be purchased by Volunteers shortly after arrival. Volunteers are encouraged to bring (if possible) an unlocked smart phone and a tablet or laptop to access internet at their sites (where available) or in a larger town or city. A “settling-in” allowance also allows Volunteers to buy furniture and set up their houses. Volunteers must be flexible, resilient, and prepared to adapt to the above-mentioned living conditions.

Your diet will include foods such as rice or (fufu) made of cassava, cornmeal, or plantains. These are often served with a sauce made of tomato or greens and meat or fish. In most communities, there are markets and small stores where you can buy basic household items, food staples, and fresh vegetables and fruits. Some Volunteers may need to travel to another town to buy supplies. Vegetarians will face some challenges but should be able to maintain their diet.

Transportation to and from your site may be challenging at times, especially during the rainy season. Depending on the location of your site, you’ll likely travel by foot, motorbikes (as a passenger only), “bush taxis”, buses, or train. You may request a bicycle and helmet from Peace Corps. Volunteers quickly observe that personal appearance is important to people in Cameroon.

During Pre-Service Training (PST), the standard dress code is business casual, except when working in the garden or field. Following PST, when you are placed in the community, you will need to dress appropriately for work and socializing in the community. Respecting Cameroonian culture and tradition by dressing appropriately helps you gain respect and credibility in your host community and facilitates integration.

Religion plays a central role in the lives of most Cameroonians. You may be assigned to a majority Christian or majority Muslim community. You may be asked to participate in religious or other traditional ceremonies. During PST, you’ll have the opportunity to explore how you might respond to such situations as part of your training in intercultural competence.

Though people in Cameroon are generally tolerant, values concerning gay, lesbian, and bisexual people are conservative and there are restrictive laws that target certain sexual behaviors. Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural norms and country-specific laws and use their best judgment to determine how to approach topics related to gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. Staff and currently serving Volunteers will address this topic during PST and identify some potential support mechanisms for Trainees and Volunteers.

Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Cameroon : Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.

During Pre-Service Training, we will try to accommodate couples living with the same host family, but we cannot guarantee that you will be housed in the same location. However, during your service you would be able to live together. Cameroon cannot accommodate couples within the same sector, and sector-specific technical training may be in different locations in the same town (but all Trainees will come together for core training sessions). Your partner must qualify and apply for:

Agriculture Outreach Volunteer
English Education Teacher

The Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples, and same-sex couples are not placed in countries where homosexual acts are criminalized. At this time, Peace Corps Cameroon is only able to accept heterosexual couples. During the application process recruiters and placement officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to find placement opportunities.

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