Volunteer Action Network is seeking an intern to support our Communities Advancing Prevention of HIV/AIDS program. Our volunteers and interns can expect challenging work, learning opportunities, and a respectful work environment. Our interns can expect challenging work, learning opportunities, and a respectful work environment. All interns will receive on job orientation and support, ensuring they are prepared to work and succeed in the office or in the field, and will work under staff supervision.Volunteer Action Network (VAC-NET) is a grass-roots non-profit organization situated in Gulu. It was founded in 2005 by Volunteers who realized the worsening situation of the rural poor, especially women who are adversely affected by the socio-economic imbalance and yet constitute a greater labour force for production.The organization is rural inclined and aims at building and coordinating a network of worldwide volunteers to serve the war-torn regions of Uganda.
The Communities Advancing HIV/AIDS Prevention Program is part of the national Uganda strategy to reduce the HIV/AIDS rate in Gulu District by 40% by 2015. After experiencing over 20 years of insurgency war with over 80% of the population having lived in internally displaced peoples camps, Gulu District has come to suffer one of the highest rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence in Uganda at an estimated 13.1% compared to the national average of 6.5%. Although Uganda has had one of the most significant responses to HIV/AIDS prevention in the past, sadly the rate has began to take a rise again. Working with trained village health team members and peer educators the program works to increase awareness on the underlying social cultural gender based and other structural drivers of the HIV epidemic and create a sustainable environment in Gulu district by providing services and education on a variety of topics. The project has a specific focus on particularly vulnerable groups of female sex workers and their clients, uniform service personnel, pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS, out of school youth including motorcycle taxi drivers, people living with HIV/AIDS, uniformed personnel, long distance truck drivers, and those who are incarcerated.
Responsibilities
- Assist and support staff with daily activities
- Work and support clients and programs
- Work and support community outreach
- Assist in program implementation
- Mobilize peer educators and village health teams
- Distribute materials to community distribution outlets
- Monitor and attend community discussions in rural villages
- Design work plans
- Any other tasks assigned
Qualifications
- Proficient in English
- Excellent writing skills
- Demonstrable knowledge of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Uganda a big plus!
- Sensitivity to working with vulnerable people
- Highly commitied
- Must be patient
- Must have an open-mind
- Willing to learn new skills and language
- Sensitive to cross-cultural situations (for international volunteers)
- Must pocess a sense of humor
- Knowledge of poverty, development, community building a plus
- Understanding of the LRA conflict or post conflict environments a plus
- Proficient with Microsoft office
- Enrolled in College or University or recent graduate
Timeframe of this internship is flexible but 3 months or more is preferred. Any fees for logistics can be negotiated further.
