Job Description and Nyanja

Hey folks!


Work and Approach
So, as you know, I'm moving to Malawi in about two weeks and the excitement builds every day. Right now, I'm knee deep in documents trying to get as prepared as possible for pre-departure training which starts on the 10th. If you'd like to join me, there are all kinds of resources at this website.

So, as this website alludes, I'll be working on a Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) project. This means that I'll be working on the sanitation side of things, mostly to do with the health effects related to open defecation. CLTS is "an innovative methodology for mobilizing communities to completely eliminate open defecation (OD). Communities are facilitated to conduct their own appraisal and analysis of open defecation (OD) and take their own action to become ODF (open defecation free)." I'm not yet sure of my exact partner organization or job description but I will be doing some of the following things:

-Peer-coaching a district officer counterpart
-Attending lots of CLTS meetings in the village with district extension staff
-Running workshops for teams of extension staff before and after meetings – repeatedly – to facilitate max. on-the-job experiential learning
-Supporting districts in improving planning, execution, and human resource management processes
-Helping counterpart write an article for S.H.i.T.S. or a longer stand-alone article about a special/personal aspect of their CLTS learning (esp. management techniques)
-Organising a district’s CLTS “data” (quantitative and qualitative). Help the team set goals based on what’s been accomplished (and failed with) so far. Taking inventory (participatory) of what the district doesn’t know about its CLTS but wants/needs to know. Coaching to find a feasible way to collect this info.
-Helping counterpart write a profile of the overall district’s CLTS program to help them (a) build support among key people in the district – Members Parliament, Traditional Authorities, District Commissioner, District Planning Director, District Education Manager, District Community Development Officer, District Health Officer, etc. and/or (b) get additional funding for CLTS if they want to.
-Interviewing field staff about their experiences with CLTS
-Strategising ‘next-step’ interventions for their district, or for the CLTS support program as a whole – e.g. ideas as to how UNICEF could better support the district


Connecting to Malawi
I'm also about to dive into some language learning. The languages spoken in Malawi are English and Chichewa (aka nyanja). I hope to get a nyanja tutor when I get settled but for now, I hope these phrases will help me on my way.

Ndipunzera Chinyanja: I am learning nyanja
Sindilankula maningi: I cannot speak a lot

Go ahead, say it out loud! You can also learn at this amazing website. More language updates to come!

Also, if you're looking for more ways to connect to Africa, please check out the tab with African jams and film recommendations. I filled it up with mp3s and trailers to some awesome movies.

Keep eating the fruit!
love kate