Job Title Volunteer
Recruiter Habitat for Humanity Uganda
City Kampala
Country Uganda
Closing date: 31 Dec 2013
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) is seeking an enthusiastic and skilled individual to support the communications team as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Uganda. The Communications Volunteer will assist with the communications efforts of Habitat for Humanity Uganda (including marketing, advertising and public relations) as well as various projects and events for related initiatives. The assignment components are somewhat flexible and Habitat for Humanity Uganda will work with the individual selected to design the objectives and outcomes for the period of service.
This assignment is expected to last for 6-12 months and will be located in Kampala, Uganda at the national office for Habitat for Humanity Uganda.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
*Write public service announcements, press releases, e-newsletters, communication plans and letters. *Design flyers, graphics, E-vites and other marketing material for major events hosted by Habitat for Humanity Uganda. *Prepare content for Habitat for Humanity Uganda websites. *Communicate the mission of Habitat for Humanity Uganda, and work to community organizations, the general public and donors. *Collaborate with staff on new ideas, directions, and venues for marketing and communications. *Initiate or follow-up on outreach attempts with media professionals. *Produce stories, photographs and information for use in Habitat for Humanity International publications. *Assist with photo and video opportunities. *Work with programs to develop story concepts for the media. *Maintain files and prepare written recommendations for future projects. *Undertake other projects within the realm of communications. *Write compelling grant proposals seeking funding for Habitat for Humanity Uganda.
OFFICE/LOCATION INFORMATION:
Habitat for Humanity Uganda on May 1st 2013 shifted office location to Kamwokya. Kamwokya is a location within the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest metropolitan area. This location is approximately 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles), by road, northeast of the Kampala's central business district. Kamwokya is a two square-mile area and home to 20,000-30,000 people. Kamwokya has both planned and unplanned settlements accompanied by both the well-to-do as well as the low income people. The community in Kamwokya is comprised of multiple tribes with a mixed residential and commercial area of the city, with a large number of small Information Technology (IT) businesses. It is also the location of a central market, restaurants, shops, dry-cleaners and sports bars, many of them, upscale. Closer to the city center, one can find several foreign embassies, government buildings, hospitals/clinics, and the Uganda National Museum.
Some of the homes in Kamwokya have over the last 5-10 years been converted to office space. The Habitat Uganda office was once a family’s home.
Habitat Uganda now has a total of 27 warm and friendly officers, with the National Office at Kamwokya having 15 staff while the others are based at the field offices. There is currently one volunteer.
COUNTRY DESCRIPTION:
Lying astride the equator, most of Uganda consists of a fertile plateau, in the center of which is Lake Kyoga. The climate is tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August). Average daily temperatures rarely exceed 29°C (84°F). It has a well-developed tourist infrastructure with excellent national parks that showcase Uganda's wide variety of wildlife including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and over 600 species of birds. In addition to Kampala, other cities include Entebbe, Gulu, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara, and Mbale.
About 90% of Uganda's inhabitants live in rural areas. Approximately 70% of the people speak one of the Bantu languages; the main Bantu ethnic groups, all of whom live in the southern half of the country, are the Baganda, Banyankole, Basoga, Bakiga, and Bagisu. Other language groups in Uganda are the Western Nilotic, whose speakers live in the north and make up about 15% of the population; the Eastern Nilotic, whose members live in the northeast and make up about 10% of the population; and the Sudanic, whose speakers live in the northwest and make up about 5% of the population. Between 1980 and 1985, thousands of refugees (mostly Tutsis) from Rwanda and Zaïre (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) settled in Uganda. English and Swahili are the country's official languages. More than 80% of the people are Christian, while about 12% are Muslim; the rest follow traditional religious beliefs. (Source: http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/uganda-land-people.html)
Some Ugandan restaurants have the best services and they operate 24 hours. You will get what to eat at any time of the day or night. Restaurants provide a range of services to cater for all levels of income. Other restaurants in Uganda include Indian, Japanese and Chinese. Uganda offers a range of dishes ranging from continental, Italian, Chinese, Ugandan, Indian and more. The finest restaurants in Uganda are located in Kampala which is the Capital City. Most restaurants have specialty in certain cuisines but can also handle other dishes using recipes from Uganda and other countries.
ANTICIPATED COSTS TO THE VOLUNTEER: Monthly estimate for a single individual is given below. (All figures are in USD.)
For a furnished apartment: Housing + utilities: $800 Food: $500 Transportation to and from office (public taxi): $80 Other (recreation and personal expenses):$200 Must bring own laptop. Estimated Monthly Total: $1,580
REQUIREMENTS:
*Firm grasp of standard tools and platforms in the communications field. *Completed or working toward a college degree, preferably in a related field such as marketing, mass communications or public relations. *Previous experience in marketing or communications. *Grant writing experience is a plus. *Must be computer literate (working knowledge of word processing, PowerPoint, Excel). *An effective communicator, both written and oral. *Ability to communicate in a professional manner with press and community contacts. *Self-motivated, good organizational skills, detail-oriented, ability to prioritize, multi-task and meet deadlines. *Enthusiasm for the mission of Habitat for Humanity and the families we serve.
Contact
APPLY ONLINE TODAY! VISIT:
http://www.habitat.org/job/communications-volunteer-0
Please submit your resume and motivation letter as ONE DOCUMENT into our applicant tracking system.
Habitat for Humanity engages people of all ages and backgrounds in addressing community needs.
