Community Outreach Volunteers Needed in Tanzania

Asylum Access Tanzania (AATZ) solicits applications from well-prepared candidates with impeccable writing, persuasive advocacy skills and a passion for social justice who are ready to commit themselves to spending six months or more in Tanzania. Volunteer Legal Advocates (VLAs) will form an integral part of AATZ’s outreach strategy. VLAs play an integral part of AATZ’s team and will get the opportunity to engage the refugee community in and around Dar es Salaam and to coordinate and strengthen the involvement of AATZ in decisions affecting refugee rights.

Community Outreach Position Responsibilities

• Develop client outreach strategy in collaboration with AATZ team;
• Conduct regular outreach to AATZ’s community partners and reach out to new community partners, including churches, mosques, NGOs, schools, legal aid providers and others;
• Personally visit AATZ clients when necessary;
• Improve and regularly update a list of social service and health providers;
• Develop material for “Know Your Rights” workshops for refugees and teach or participate in the workshops.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to commit to 6 months of full-time work;
• Willingness to commute regularly in Dar es Salaam (able to travel by bus and walk long distances);
• A degree in law or a degree relating to or experience in programming relating to health, education, SGBV, cultural adaptation, credit and livelihoods, psycho-social care, etc.
• Has active listening skills, patience, and empathy;
• Ability to take initiative to expand access of refugees and asylum seekers to social and other services.
• Able to begin in early- to mid- August 2013

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to speak, read, write and understand Kiswahili at an intermediate level and/or ability to speak and understand French at an intermediate level
• Experience implementing or evaluating refugee-related programming– particularly health, education, SGBV, cultural adaptation, credit and livelihoods, psycho-social care, etc.;
• Experience developing and organising effective community trainings and workshops.

Program Highlights

• Development Training – Throughout your work with us, Asylum Access will support you with a series of tools to maximize your programmatic work and your understanding of refugee law and practice.
• Regular training and debriefing sessions will offer you the chance to enhance and process your experience and share insight about cross-cultural issues.

Casework – Once you join our team, you will be responsible for your own casework, which you will see through intake, preparation, submission and results. This will give you an invaluable experience and lasting ties with your clients.

Joining our Network – After working with us, you will be connected with an ever-growing network of refugee legal advocates around the world, which circulates job openings, research opportunities, refugee news, and more.

How to apply:

Because of space limitations, AATZ VLA positions are awarded on a very competitive basis. Each year Asylum Access receives hundreds of applications coming from all over the globe for a handful of VLA positions. It is best, therefore, for applicants to submit polished, complete applications as early as possible. We accept applications on a rolling basis.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and a legal writing sample to Zoë McKinney atapply@asylumaccess.org with the subject line “AATZ VLA Application” Please be sure to specify in your cover letter what makes you uniquely qualified to be a VLA with AATZ, how volunteering with us fits into your career plans, and the dates that you expect to be available.

***Please note that all Asylum Access VLA positions are unpaid; we are happy to work with successful applicants to arrange for funding or school credit where available. If selected, VLA’s are responsible for obtaining their visa and work permit, if applicable.

Closing date: 01 Jun 2013