Outreach Worker / Female

Working environment

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is a faith based International NGO that has been working in Iraq for the past eight years. Our mission is to accompany, serve and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. JRS Iraq belongs to JRS Middle East and North Africa Regional Office coordinating the work in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. In 2022, nine people work in the CO and JRS Iraq runs programmes mostly in Qaraqosh and Sharya for an approximate total of 150 staff members.

General Purpose of the Position

The Outreach worker works in a team of two persons to visit displaced families and individuals in their shelter. Their role emphasises JRS’s mission of accompaniment and is primarily intended to “walk with the displaced and the vulnerable,” rather than to collect data. Primarily, it involves supporting families

affected by displacement and, more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic, and to contribute a sustained sense of community support and social cohesion through shared activities. A visitor participates in informing the visited family of other JRS’ programmes or other partners that could support them.

Main Responsibilities of the Position

A) Regular home visits

1. Conduct visits to displaced families in their shelter under supervision of the Project Director, focusing on the most vulnerable and those like to slip away from mainstream consciousness
2. Ensure that all visits are carried out in full respect of the dignity of visited persons. After the consent of the family the family visit team fill Kobo’s form.
3. Schedule family visits by communicating with families at least 24 hours prior to home visits
4. Follow-up with families through ongoing visits and/or phone calls and regular communication, especially with the most vulnerable.
5. Accompany vulnerable IDPs, listening to their stories, remaining silent when faced with their sacred suffering, and encouraging them to express their feelings
6. To be mindful of JRS code of conduct
7. To accept the complaints not as a personal critic but as structural situation (social difficulties and struggle) and report them to the Project Director.

B) Collaboration

1. Coordinate with the Protection & Education and MHPSS Directors to provide cash assistance, food aid, NFIs or other assistance according to established vulnerability criteria as the need arises
2. Refer mentally vulnerable cases to the JRS MHPSS project
3. Inform visited families about protection, education, and MHPSS services provided by JRS—such as, legal assistance for civil documentation, kindergarten and youth education, community support and MHPSS activities
4. Work collaboratively with other JRS staff, especially the MHPSS project
5. Attend the meeting regarding debriefing of the Family Visit team in order to identify with most vulnerable persons
6. Attend internal or external workshops and trainings as advised by the Protection and Education Director.

C) Reporting activities

1. After leaving the shelter of visited persons, make sure that the relevant informations go to the Project Director and that urgent intervention would be possible if needed. Take note of other details that may inform future JRS interventions
2. Coordinate regularly with the Protection & Education Director or his deputy and complete daily, weekly, or monthly logs and/or reports
3. Make sure that Kobo’s data are received by the project Data Entry Clerk for immediate processing
4. Maintain accurate digital and paper records
5. Attend regular meetings called by the Protection and Education Director or his deputy
6. Participate to the two days monthly discussion in order to discern the level of vulnerability of the visited families so that JRS Intervention is fair.

D) Community Building

1. Assist in the organisation of family outings and community events/activities
2. Prepare lists of families/individuals attending the outing well in advance and contact them to invite them to the event with sufficient advance notice
3. Participate in conducting public awareness campaigns as necessary
4. Assist in the distribution of food baskets, hygiene kits, NFIs other items distributed by JRS
5. Respond to other duties as may be reasonably requested by the Protection and Education Director.

Availability

Respond to other reasonable requests with the ambit of this position.

Qualifications, skills and attributes

• Compassion and commitment for refugees and other displaced persons.
• At ease with persons of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds
• Relevant qualifications and experience in a field related to psychosocial support
• Mature personality that inspires trust
• Very high level of integrity and confidentiality
• Outstanding communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills
• Self-awareness, objectivity, a strong desire to help others
• Proficiency in Kobo and Microsoft Office365 applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) an asset.
• Fluent written and spoken Kurdish (Kurmanji) and Arabic. Proficiency in English desirable.

Suitably qualified candidates are to submit their CV accompanied by a cover letter explaining why they are suitable for this position and how they can contribute to the mission of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in this position. Both the CV and the cover letter should be in English.

Applications are to be sent by email to the Human Resources Officer [email protected] marked Outreach Worker in the subject line.

CVs not accompanied by a motivation letter or without the title of the position in the subject line will not be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview.