Proximity Advisor/Field Officer at PRO-FEMMES/TWESE HAMWE (PFTH): (Deadline 10 July 2023)

Proximity Advisor/Field Officer at PRO-FEMMES/TWESE HAMWE (PFTH): (Deadline 10 July 2023)

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PROXIMITY ADVISOR/FIELD OFFICER POSITION 

Pro-Femmes /Twese Hamwe (PFTH) is an Umbrella of Rwandan Civil Society Organizations aiming at advancement of women status, peace and development. It was established in October 1992, and currently represents 53 member organizations within the country.  The mission of Pro-Femmes/Twese Hamwe is to eradicate all forms of discrimination towards women, to promote their socio-economic political and legal status, and to enhance the institutional and organizational capacities of its   member organizations through the promotion of sustainable human development approach based on gender equality and a culture of peace, justice and human rights.

To achieve her mission of promoting social economic status of women in partnership with Initiatives for Peace and Human Rights (iPeace) with the financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is implementing the project on “Empowering Women in Informal Cross-Border Trade in The Great Lakes Region (EWICBT)”.

The project activities are implemented in Rubavu and Rusizi borders with the aim to contribute to social economic empowerment of women in cross border trade between DRC and Rwanda. This will be achieved through improving their business environment; increasing their income their social economic welfare. To accomplish this, the project is built on improving the legal and policy framework for WICBT, providing access to legal aid services to WICBT, strengthening their entrepreneurial and financial capacity, and increasing WICBT’s access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

It is in this regard that PRO-FEMMES/TWESE HAMWE is looking for One (1) suitable candidate to fill the position of Proximity advisor/Field Officer. Under the supervision of Project Coordinator and Director of Program; The Proximity advisor will be in charge of coaching and mentoring in financial literacy and entrepreneurship to WICBT and conduct other field related activities.

Key duties and responsibilities of Proximity Advisor/Field Officer

The proximity advisor will undertake the following specific tasks:

• Work closely with local authorities and border officials to identify, engage and facilitate WICBT to form WICBT cooperatives;
• Work with Financial and entrepreneurship specialist to assess the actual capacity needs of WICBT at individual level and within their cooperatives to inform capacity building support;
• Monitor and evaluate the implementation of WICBT project activities specifically related financial and entrepreneurship activities on informal cross-border program at either the above-mentioned border posts to promote safe and sustainable cross-border trade business of WICBT between Rwanda and DRC;
• Coordinate capacity building activities (either in cooperatives or individually) of women doing informal cross-border trade across the above mentioned border posts
• Engage, coordinate and organize trainings of WICBT cooperatives in areas of financial literacy, entrepreneurship and cooperative management;
• Engage and closely work with local Business development partners and financial institutions to bridge gaps in areas of financial literacy, entrepreneurship and cooperative management;
• Collaborate with local financial institutions to raise sound awareness and understanding about financial literacy among WICBT, and importance of working with FIs to promote WCBT;
• Collaborate with national and local institutions (District, RCA, Immigration office and RRA) to educate and raise awareness about laws and regulations on cross-border trade WICBT;
• Work shoulder-by-shoulder with WICBT (on your) border posts to promote the culture and their capabilities of financial management, savings as well as working with FIs in their business throughout the course of the project;
• Organize peer-to-peer awareness trainings and other planned trainings for WICBT at the above-mentioned border posts;
• Link and facilitate WICBT to access finance by providing proximity financial and entrepreneurial advisory services prior and after access to finance;
• Participate in the entrepreneurship and access to finance meetings and forums organized by different stakeholders and follow-up the implementation of decision taken regarding access to finance and entrepreneurship development;
• Continuous assess the growing capacity needs of the WICBT cooperatives and facilitate to design targeted interventions with Pro-Femmes;
• Continuously conduct an inventory of existing financial products and grants meant for women and available from local financial institutions thereafter, encourage and facilitate WICBT to exploit these schemes;
• Work with WICBT cooperatives, local authorities and local financial institutions to introduce saving schemes of WICBT cooperatives;
• Plan, implement, monitor and report on implementation of project activities to the headquarter;
• Constantly up-date the database and provide timely data and list of WICBT cooperatives and their progress on the financial inclusion
• Perform other tasks as shall be advised by the supervisors at Pro-Femmes /Twese Hamwe.

Desired competencies and qualifications for proximity advisors

• At least hold a bachelor’s degree in economics, Finance, accounting, or business management.
• Experience of working with local financial institutions
• Experience of working with local women-based NGO is an added advantage
• At least 5 years progressive experience in financial management, specifically related to trade, business and cooperatives management
• Broad knowledge of gender equality, women empowerment, business plan and development,
• Strong experience and knowledge of civil society in Rwanda
• Fluent in English, French and Kinyarwanda, knowledge of Swahili  is an added advantage
• Excellent communicator orally and in writing
• Innovative self-driven and team player
• Interpersonal skills with experience of working in multicultural contexts
• Computer literate

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should send their application enclosed with a cover letter, Curriculum Vitae, Academic documents and other relevant work certificates to the Chairperson of Pro-Femmes/ Twese Hamwe and delivered in hard copies to Pro-Femmes/ Twese Hamwe offices no later than 16h00 on Monday 10^th July 2023. Pro-Femmes/ Twese Hamwe head office is located next to Gahanga Sector offices, Kicukiro District. For any inquiry, you may contact us on: 0788521600

N.B

• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for a written test;
• Online applications will not be considered.

Done on 27^th June 2023

Emma Marie Bugingo

Executive Director 

Pro-Femmes/TweseHamwe