Skip to Content
    MCC Canada        MCC U.S.

Peace Education & Global Family Coordinator

 

Advocacy Childcare Community development Computer technology 
Creation care Education English HIV/AIDS Literacy Peace Refugee Assistance 

All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to: a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active church membership; and nonviolent peacemaking.

MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply.

Peace Education & Global Family Coordinator in Sikalongo, Southern Province, Zambia

Term: 
3 years
Date Opened: 
Tue, 2012-01-17
Date Required: 
Mon, 2012-07-09

 

Synopsis: 

This volunteer position requires individuals who are self-motivated, visionary, and are able to take their own initiative. Initially, this assignment will be relatively unstructured. It will require a great deal of time and energy getting to know pastors, school administrators, and various other lay-people providing leadership in the schools and churches. It will also require some language learning. A sensitivity and awareness of cultural differences, and a desire to walk with the church as it grapples with the new and rapidly changing social dynamics in Zambian society.

FTE 1.5

 

Qualifications: 

A College degree
Familiarity with peace education and/or peace and justice issues
Pastoral ministry experience preferred
Teaching experience in a school, college, or Christian Education in a church
A Married couple without children is preferred

 

Assignment Description: 

A number of BIC schools have asked to start Peace Clubs; an MCC supported program where teachers are trained to teach their students conflict resolution and meditation skills. Sixteen such clubs are active in Lusaka, but not enough personnel resources are available to expand theses clubs to the BIC Schools. The BIC Compassionate Ministries also runs peer education classes in schools through a PEPFAR grant. This person(s) will be asked to start Peace Clubs in the BIC Schools as well as neighboring schools, and to assist in the amalgamation of peer education program into the Peace Clubs.
Many social tensions and conflict in Zambia are caused by inequitable gender practices and cultural frameworks. Polygamy continues to be prevalent in the Southern Province, and many unwed girls are having children. A recent UNICEF report on the state of HIV/AIDS in Zambia found that one of the most vulnerable groups to HIV/AIDS infection are married women. Gender issues are beginning to be discussed within the BICC. This coordinator position will assist the BICC in further developing and expanding the gender awareness initiatives and education programs that they have started with MCC funds.
Sikalongo Bible Institute, a BICC Zambia pastor-training school, has just piloted and implemented a peace education module into their curriculum using MCC funds. The coordinators would see that this module becomes established at the school by assisting in the teaching of the peace module, and the mentoring of pastors on the field as they teach peace to their congregates.
MCC Global Family supports five Brethren in Christ Church (BICC) Schools in the Southern Province as well as a Teacher-mentor who is assisting and mentoring teachers in the use of better teaching techniques. All of the Global Family assisted schools struggle with poor educational outcomes with only a minority of Gr. 9 students able to read, write, and do Math at a North American Grade Five level. The Global Family coordinator will give oversight to the various Global Family initiatives by providing planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.

1. Assist with starting start Peace Clubs in the BIC Schools as well as neighboring schools, and to assist in the amalgamation of peer education program into the Peace Clubs.

2. Work with the BICC to further develop and expand the gender awareness initiatives that have been started with MCC funds.

3. Strengthen the peace training module (utilizing MCC resources) at Sikalongo Bible Institute, and assist pastors on the field as they teach peace to their congregants.

4. The Global Family component will give oversight to the various Global Family initiatives by providing planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. (PMER)

Note: The predominant focus will be on the peace education component of this assignment. The Global Family component will take up approximately 25 % of the assignment’s time. Assignment responsibilities can be divided up between the Service Worker couple.

 

Duties: 

Peace Club coordination
1. Sensitize local schools on the concept of Peace Clubs and see whether there is interest.
2. Work with school administrators in setting up Peace clubs.
3. Train local teachers to become peace club leaders in their schools by introducing & training them in the Peace Club curriculum.
4. Monitor the Peace Clubs once they have been established.
5. Work with the Peace Club director in Lusaka so that consistency in goals and objectives are kept.
6. Work with the BIC Compassionate Ministries Peer Education Coordinator in developing ways of incorporating peer education into Peace Clubs.

Gender Awareness coordination
1. Assist the BIC Church leadership in the coordination of Gender Awareness workshops
2. Provide workshop resources with the possibility of being a facilitator
3. Assist the National BIC Peace Committee and BIC Women's & Men’s Committees in developing goals and objectives concerning gender issues
4. Assist pastors in developing strategies for dealing with gender abuse in their congregations.
5. Assist the BICC in developing a network of facilitators in pre-marriage and marriage enrichment classes.

Sikalongo Bible Institute Peace module coordination
1. Assist in the teaching of the peace module
2. Monitor and mentor pastors as they provide peace workshops and attempt to incorporate peace teachings in their congregations
3. Assist Sikalongo Bible Institute administration and board in developing long-term goals and objective concerning peace education
4. Assist in the modification of the peace module curriculum to meet the needs of the pastors
5. Develop peace resources for the peace module and the larger church

Global Family coordination
1. Visit the five Global Family Schools on a regular basis and develop a collegial relationship with the administration of these schools so that planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting can be done more effectively.
2. Keep informed on the work of the MCC Teacher Mentor and assist whenever or wherever needed.

 

Location Description: 

Sikalongo is a major BIC educational centre, with basic (elementary), secondary school, as well as a Bible School. It also boasts a church-run rural health clinic. It is a village located in the Southern Province, approximately 55 km from the nearest large town, Choma, approximately a 45 minute to one hour drive, depending on road conditions. The service workers will have access to an MCC vehicle. Choma is a provincial, but sizeable town with banks, internet cafes, shops and public transport to Lusaka, the capital, about a 3 1/2 hour drive away. Sikalongo is provided with electricity, running water and is covered by telephone networks for cell phones. There is periodic internet at the Sikalongo Secondary School.

 

Challenges: 

The living situation will be rural, but this assignment will require a fair amount of travel to the various BIC centers throughout the Southern Province of Zambia. Sikalongo does not provide international schooling for school-age children.