Back Community Mobilization Partner

WUSC – World University Service of Canada – is a leading Canadian non-profit organization in international development, committed to providing education, economic opportunities and empowerment opportunities that improve the lives of millions of disadvantaged youth around the world. WUSC is currently seeking a community mobilization partner to support stakeholder and community engagement efforts in Kakuma and Kalobeyei.

Background of the DREEM Project

Displaced and Refugee youth Enabling Environment Mechanism (DREEM) project

Through the DREEM project (2020-2025), we engage national and local government representatives, academic institutions, private sector actors, refugee-led organizations, local and international NGOs, and refugee youth to share knowledge and identify opportunities to advance the inclusion of refugee youth in national, local, and institutional priorities. Our three pillars drive us to build change and advance the inclusion of refugees and displaced youth, especially young women, in education, employment and entrepreneurship. We believe that through this work and engaging diverse stakeholders from varied sectors and geographies, we will form new strategic partnerships, build momentum and mobilize to advance refugee and displaced youth inclusion.

One of the three pillars of the DREEM project is Strengthening Economic Opportunities for Refugees (SEOR), which will complement WUSC’s existing Learning through Education and Access to Employment Pathways (LEAP) project through provision of digital skills training to young women and market oriented entrepreneurship support including grant financing and BDS. Community mobilization support will entail technical support on approaches and methods for organizing broad scale community engagement. Through this work, the Community Mobilization Partner will seek to increase community (local authorities and beneficiaries) involvement and awareness of the project and its deliverables and provide input to the development of strategies relevant to community mobilization.

Purpose and Objectives of the Community Mobilization Partner

Community mobilization and engagement is an integral component in the DREEM project, with the objective of supporting at least 1000 young women in Kalobeyei, Kakuma, and surrounding host communities with digital training and entrepreneurship grant support. WUSC is seeking to identify an experienced, skilled, and results-oriented partner organization to coordinate, implement and supervise community awareness and sensitization forums on the DREEM project deliverables especially the Innovation Fund. The proposed partner should have a strong understanding of the economic context of refugee settlements in Kenya, as well as a deep understanding of social and gender dynamics in the refugee and host communities of Kakuma and Kalobeyei.

Roles and responsibilities of the community mobilization partner

• Coordinate, implement and supervise community awareness and sensitization forums in Kakuma and Kalobeyei.
• Organize community awareness forums, workshops, focus group discussions and other meetings to sensitize on DREEM/SEOR deliverables
• Liaise with project coordinator to disseminate Innovation Fund IEC material (including display on popular information sharing platforms)
• Provide mentorship (including responding to FAQ’s) to community mobilization field staff communities when needed
• Link the project team to key stakeholders, networks and relevant technical working groups to ensure active participation of WUSC in development activities in Kakuma and Kalobeyei
• Prepare and submit quality activity reports, summaries, briefing notes for all forums conducted for the DREEM project
• Ensure the integration of DREEM community mobilization activities into communication and advocacy campaigns and initiatives

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

1. At least 5 years of experience as a development agency operating in Kakuma and Kalobeyei

2. Track record of community mobilization support preferably in livelihood programming

3. Demonstrated experience of staff in community mobilization and mentorship

4. Onsite community mobilizers and/or mentors with lived experience is an asset