Full Time Internship: Six Nutrition Interns: To Support the implementation of District nutrition interventions (Open to Malawian Nationals only)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, a future… 

Since the adoption of the global Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement in 2011, Malawi has been implementing 13 high impact SUN interventions for children following a life cycle approach and has reduced stunting among children under five from 37 per cent in 2016 (Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) 2015/6) to 35.5 per cent in 2020 (MICS 2019-2020). In addition, approximately 35 per cent adolescent girls in the age group of 15-19 years suffer from some form of anaemia. Overweight within the same age group has been steadily increasing from 4.2 per cent (MDHS 1992) in 1992 to 6.5 per cent (MDHS  2015/16). Nearly 13 per cent of adolescent girls are thin (MDHS  2015/16).   While there is a remarkable progress in combatting malnutrition in children under five, Malawi noted an apparent policy and interventions gap on addressing nutritional needs for the adolescent population (10 – 19 years) which constitutes 27 per cent of the national population (Integrated Household Survey 5, 2020). The Government of Malawi (GoM) has recently taken bold steps in addressing adolescent nutrition considering its public health significance by developing the Multi Sector Adolescent Nutrition Strategy 2019-2023 and the roll out of the Iron folic Acid Supplementation (IFA) for adolescent girls aged 10-19 years.

In 2019, UNICEF supported the pilot of weekly Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation among adolescent girls in eight districts (Lilongwe, Salima, Mangochi, Machinga, Dedza and Dowa, Phalombe and Nsanje) using multi-sectoral collaboration between Ministry of Health and Population and Ministry of Education. This targeted adolescent girls (10-19 years) enrolled in school settings, and out of school adolescent girls in community setting. On a weekly basis, adolescent girls receive an IFA tablet containing 60 mg elemental iron and 2800 ug Folic Acid and is taken for 52 weeks in a year. Multisector weekly IFA supplementation programme showed promising results in 2019 with 70.3 per cent of adolescent girls reached with weekly IFA supplementation through schools and community platforms. In 2020, the country managed to reach 47 per cent of total adolescent population in the six districts with 23.4 per cent decline from 2019 due to the abrupt closure of schools for about six months. From fourth quarter of 2020, UNICEF supported GoM with recruitment of the first, second and third cohort of nutrition interns to provide a learning opportunity for them on broad nutrition programming and more specifically on adolescent nutrition programme. At the same time this contributed towards strengthening of the district level implementation of the IFA program. The interns were closely supervised by UNICEF Nutrition but for logistical reasons, housed at the office of the Principal Nutrition, HIV/AIDS Officers (PNHAO) in the six initial programme districts for IFA implementation.

The purpose of the internship is to provide a learning opportunity for the interns on several aspects related to nutrition programming. More specifically in monitoring and tracking of the implementation of the district nutrition package for adolescents. The package is comprised of weekly IFA supplementation, promotion of dietary diversification among children and adolescents, Social Behavioural Change (SBC), Multiple Micronutrient Programme, vitamin A supplementation and support to implementation of the community management of acute malnutrition.  Through this opportunity interns will also be able to learn and contribute towards the delivery and monitoring of the district nutrition package for adolescents.

How can you make a difference? 

The main purpose of the internship programme will be to support UNICEF programme implementation at district level while ensuring the development and enhancement of the intern’s professional and educational experience through practical work assignments, exposure to UNICEF work across the country and beyond.

The intern will be part of the UNICEF (EADP) and Nutrition team where certain roles and responsibilities are shared and the objective of the team effort is to ensure convergence, collaboration and consistency in shared tasks for optimal results in the two sections and ultimately for pillar one and two.

The intern will support the implementation of UNICEF nutrition supported interventions with a focus on tracking on quality, monthly coverage and compliance for District Nutrition interventions. This includes, but not limited to:

Main Responsibilities and Tasks: 

• Support the office of the District Principal Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Officer to conduct mapping of nutrition interventions at districts level as well key partners roles and responsibilities to ease coordination and synergy between actors.
• Support the District Principal Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Officer, District Nutrition Officer in analysing and compilation of monthly district adolescent nutrition data for district use and submission to national level.
• Track programme coverage of Social Behavioural Change Communication interventions including nutrition education and counselling sessions on monthly basis for both platforms.
• Monitor monthly IFA and vitamin A supplements, Ready To-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF), and Multiple-micronutrient Powder (MNP) stock levels in Health Facilities and schools.
• Provide on the job support to frontline workers and ensure compliance with SAM protocol as per MoH standards.
• Provide on the job technical support to frontline workers (HSAs, AEDOs and SHN teachers) to ensure compliance with IFA protocol and the implementation of the adolescent Nutrition sensitive Agriculture interventions.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Enrolled in an undergraduate degree programme or be a recent graduate (graduated within the past two years) in field of Nutrition, Food Science, Environmental Health, Public Health, Nursing or related field.

Applicants must have excellent academic performance demonstrated by recent university or institution records.

Technical skills and competencies

• Team building and good interpersonal skills
• Good analytical skills
• Data compilation and presentation skills

 Work Experience

Additional consideration will be given for any experience, specifically experience in implementation of nutrition related interventions at health, school, or community levels.

Languages

Fluency in English and Chichewa is required.

Other requirements

• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Ability to communicate clearly.
• Strong analytical and good report writing and presentation skills.
• Able to demonstrate UNICEF core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability as well as core competencies such as self-awareness and ethical awareness, working collaboratively with others, innovates and embraces change and drive to achieve impactful results.
• Applicants must have no relatives (e.g., father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office and must have no other relatives in the line of authority which the intern will report to.

Please refer to the attached full Terms of Reference  Terms of Reference for Internship.pdf for more details on the internship and requirements.

HOW TO APPLY…

Interested candidates should provide the following:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Motivation letter
3. Proof of studies/Certified copies of qualifications
4. Examples of previous related work (information, products etc.)
5. Reference details

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3)Drive to achieve results for impact (4)Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6)Thinks and acts strategically (7)Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.