OPPORTUNITIES ONLY OFFERED FOR CANADIAN CITIZENS and PERMANENT RESIDENTS CURRENTLY IN ZAMBIA

Crossroads International is a leading Canadian international cooperation organization, advancing equality for women and girls and eradicating poverty in some of the world’s poorest countries in Africa where women and girls face great adversity: unequal access to resources and economic opportunities, gender-based violence and limited participation in political and public life. Crossroads International works in partnership with local organizations in 9 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, in order to draw on the skills, expertise and resources, from the North and the South, required to enable people, particularly women and girls, to overcome poverty and defend their rights.

Crossroads is a registered charity supported by government and non-government funders, and many individual donors around the world.

OUR VISION

ONE WORLD where poverty is eliminated, equality prevails, and the rights of women and girls are fulfilled.

Project description and context:

SWIFT is a member-based organization providing training, trade, and advocacy to support businesses through promoting fair trade for the sustainable socio-economic empowerment of producers and communities. The organization’s membership is structured on a 3- tier scale and helps the organization focus its training program to the size, capacity and needs of each individual member. The training program itself is 2 – tier, with the first focus on building the foundations of the business and the second on growth. The organization also facilitates trade linkage for member companies by establishing buyer events.

Gone Rural Eswatini is a SWIFT member company, and social enterprise working with 780+ rural women weavers across eSwatini. A revolutionary leader in social enterprise, Gone Rural works with its artisans to rethink and transform craft, taking it to new perspectives.

boMake Rural Projects is the sister NGO to Gone Rural. The organization works with Gone Rurals’ women weavers, their dependents and community at large to ensure sustainable community development. The organization runs programs on Education, Health and Sustainable Livelihoods. The Education program supports dependents of the weavers to facilitate access to higher education through school fees bursary; the health program is centered on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) with the setting up of safe water and hygiene facilities across various communities. The sustainable livelihood program equips women and youths in rural communities with business skills and access to seed capital for micro enterprise development.

The SWIFT team is small but highly dedicated. The organization is seeking a communications, advocacy and marketing officer to assist in the creation of an advocacy program, to manage communication platforms such as social media, newsletter and more, for improved visibility of the organizations and their work. The volunteer will train the team to ensure they have the capacity for continuing activities as the volunteer’s mandate comes to an end. The volunteer will lead in the creation of a social media strategy, content, and action planning to advocate for fair trade.

Mandate historical context:

Eswatini Fair Trade represents 83 members ranging from Level 0 – who have a marketable product but are not as yet a formal business, Level 1 who are a registered company and have local domestic sales, Level 2 regional or international exporters with a minimum of ten staff and Level 3 large scale exporting companies with sales of more than one million Emalangeni (South African Rand). Our mandate is training, trade, and advocacy for our members as well as the promotion and advocacy of Fair Tarde principles. One of the best ways to reach an international audience is a dedicated, well planned, and well thought social media strategy which will elevate SWIFT’s reach.

Main responsibilities:

• Research the current SWIFT social media presence and identify the needs and gaps
• With the help of the Country Director develop a social media content plan.
• Gather and create the SWIFT photo library
• Train the 3 business development managers to enable them to run social media campaigns
• Assist with a Global Giving campaign
• Create a domestic press release system (how to write a press release) and assist with developing a content plan for the local media
• Develop a social media handbook for continuity after the mandate is completed
• Create a campaign for World Fair Trade Day
• Assist with the marketing at the Bushfire Festival to advocate for Fair Trade
• Assist with the creation of new info graphics, banners and marketing materials for SWIFT
• Update the SWIFT website

Qualification criteria for selection include:

• At least a bachelor’s in business, Marketing or Communication or related field
• Minimum 3 years work experience in communication/marketing role
• Experience writing for press, advocacy, or another outlet
• Must have exceptional written and verbal communication
• Must have experience with software applications such as InDesign, Photoshop, and Publisher
• Proficient in MS Office, content management systems and social media platforms
• Excellent Interpersonal skills, excellent time management and organizational skills

Language:

• Language

Other skill set/knowledge:

• Adaptability and flexibility
• Readiness to deal with change
• Ability and willingness to work in rural areas and willingness to work in a non-Canadian socio-cultural and professional settings.
• Ability and willingness to travel to other African/Middle Eastern countries
• Graphics skills would be essential
• Knowledge of sustainable development and gender equality