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Summary
A Peace Corps Response Volunteer is needed to serve as a Post Disaster and Community Development Advisor for Mercy Corps Colombia and Accion Social. The rainy season of 2010 in Colombia was a historic one for many reasons. Record rainfalls that led to landslides and severe flooding affected over 2 million people in various regions of the country. The rising levels of water caused a dike to burst in several areas, flooding entire towns and communities. Over 200,000 inhabitants were evacuated from their homes and displaced to other communities and temporary shelters. In addition, crop and livestock losses have been extensive in this predominately agricultural region. This has affected the price of many agricultural commodities and, more critically, the productive income activities of small producers and poor farm wage-earners, many temporarily unemployed.
Therefore, a Response Volunteer is needed to assist with a range of health, housing, social, and economic needs of the affected population groups, in addition to helping manage the widespread psychological trauma that resulted from the crisis. The Volunteer will review results and formative assessments of Mercy Corps’ psycho-social support of families living in temporary shelters. Based on these assessments, the PCRV will design and implement family and community-level interventions focused on productive income-generating activities and disaster preparedness, prevention, and response capabilities. Most importantly, the Volunteer will develop a long-term plan of action, including a programmatic and geographic focus for potential follow-up by future Peace Corps Response Volunteers.
Qualifications
Mandatory:
- Degree in international development, business, youth development, social work, psychology, or a related discipline
- Highly proficient in oral and written Spanish
- Experience with project assessment and development
- Demonstrated leadership and team building skills in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors
- Reporting and project plan technical writing skills
- At least two years of community and/or youth development work
- Previous experience living and working in Latin America
Desired:
- Two years’ experience working in humanitarian disaster assistance
- One year of Peace Corps TEFL experience