HIV/AIDS Clinic & Health Team Volunteer
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact Peace Corps domestically and internationally.
The information provided for each assignment is subject to change, including the tentative departure date.
Project Description
In 2021, Peace Corps Botswana began active participation in the PEPFAR-funded DREAMS program in 8 districts. The Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, Safe (DREAMS) Initiative – a public-private partnership between the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Girl Effect – seeks to achieve an AIDS-free future for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 10-24 years. The program offers a comprehensive package of layered evidence-based interventions focused on four interconnected groups – AGYW, families, sexual partners, and communities – to prevent new HIV infections among women and girls. DREAMS aligns perfectly with the goals and objectives of Peace Corps Botswana’s Health Project Framework. As a Volunteer in Botswana, you will be trained in DREAMS interventions, but you may or may not be placed in one of the DREAMS districts.
As a Clinic and Health Team Volunteer, you will be assigned to a rural clinic or health post serving a small community, district hospital or a District Health Management Team (DHMT) responsible for multiple health facilities and HIV programs and services across an entire health district.
If placed in a clinic/health post, you will most likely work alongside the Health Education Assistant or community health nurse to strengthen outreach work in HIV prevention, treatment adherence and care for People Living with HIV delivered through health talks, home visits, support groups and community campaigns. You may also assist the clinic/health post improve HIV service delivery by strengthening systems, such as health commodity logistics and supply chain management, client tracking, monitoring systems and working with the Youth Friendly Services Clinic.
If placed in a DHMT, you will most likely work alongside different units such as Health Education, pharmacy and Monitoring and Evaluation, responsible for ensuring HIV programs and services are implemented in clinics, hospitals and communities within the district. You may assist in strengthening data collection, analysis and reporting, implementation of district-wide campaigns, and improving delivery of HIV prevention, care, treatment, and support services. Volunteers often support pharmacists and laboratory technicians to improve health commodity logistics and supply chain management and may assist the environmental health team in malaria prevention. You will also be involved in the larger district HIV response through the District Multi-Sectoral AIDS Committee.
COVID-19 Volunteer Activities
In the past year, the world has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Volunteer, you will be trained in how to best protect yourself from COVID-19 exposure and understand the impact of and steps to reduce stigma related to COVID-19. You may also have the opportunity to engage with your community on implementing or enhancing COVID-19 mitigation activities, such as COVID-19 prevention and risk reduction strategies including social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, addressing myths and misconceptions related to these practices, and vaccine hesitancy. Activities will be tailored to address the COVID-19 circumstances in the communities where you will serve.
Required Skills
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years' professional work experience
Desired Skills
• Master of Public Health degree or Master of Arts/Master of Science degree in Public Health
• Certified Physician Assistant or Public Health Nurse with expressed interest in public/community health
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition, Health, or Nursing
Additional desired skills for all candidates include:
• Experience in HIV and AIDS programs, health behavior change, clinical practice, nutrition, reproductive health, or community health education
• Experience working with youth, especially youth health services
• Experience in public health, health program management including monitoring and evaluation, or supply chain management
Required Language Skills
Living Conditions
During Pre-Service Training, you will live with a local family who will share Botswana culture and traditions, teach you how to manage village life and practice speaking Setswana with you. During your service, you will live in accommodation identified by your organization and approved by Peace Corps. You will have a modest dwelling that may be on a family compound. Volunteers in rural towns may have electricity and running water, while this may not be available in rural villages. You will be matched to your site based on your knowledge, skills and experience. You must be prepared to accept the living conditions at site, as you will be living under the same conditions as the people with and for whom you work.
As a Volunteer in Botswana, you will be assigned to an organization and work a full week based on the hours of the organization. The typical work day is 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. You will be expected to dress professionally and abide by your host organization’s dress code.
While Botswana is generally tolerant, values and mores concerning sexual orientation and gender identity are more conservative than in the US. Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural norms, and use their judgment to determine the best way to approach sexual orientation and gender identity in their communities and host countries. Staff and currently serving Volunteers will address this topic during Pre-Service Training, and identify support mechanisms for incoming trainees. It is not a crime to identify as non-heterosexual in Botswana and the decision to serve openly is left to each individual Volunteer. Many LGBTQ Volunteers have served successfully in Botswana.
Through inclusive recruitment and retention of staff and Volunteers, the Peace Corps seeks to reflect the rich diversity of the United States and bring diverse perspectives and solutions to development issues. Peace Corps works diligently to identify and train host country partners on the rich diversity of the United States. Still, when engaging with some individuals, Volunteers who are of an American racial or ethnic minority, have visible disabilities or whose religious or spiritual beliefs differ from the majority of their country of service may be mistaken for other nationalities and/or experience a high degree of curiosity or unwanted attention or even discrimination from host country nationals. Please be aware that American concepts of politeness and appropriate behavior are not universal. Ethnically, nationally, or racially diverse Americans may be asked where they are “actually from” or if they are “really” American. Many Volunteers have been able to turn these encounters into learning experiences, sharing American values and deepening local community members’ understanding of Americans.
Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Botswana: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and safety — including crime statistics [PDF] — in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.
Couples Information
• HIV/AIDS Civil Society Volunteer
• HIV/AIDS Local Government Volunteer
• HIV/AIDS Clinic & Health Team Volunteer
Couples will have the same living conditions as other Volunteers and will live together during Pre-Service Training (PST) and service. Going through the Peace Corps experience as a couple allows for ample growth in trust, confidence, and communication. There will be times when you will both need each other’s support. Understand that you will need to put in an extra effort to be an ally to your partner. Although you will not be able to completely eradicate many of these challenges, they can be coped with and overcome with time, patience, and most importantly, a good sense of humor.
Medical Considerations
Before you apply, please review Medical Information for Applicants to learn about the clearance process and other health conditions that are difficult to accommodate in Peace Corps service.
Does this sound like the position for you?
Get started on your journey.