Health Outreach Volunteer

Project description

Give the next generation a healthy outlet to learn new skills, create safe spaces, and nurture lasting positive behaviors. Contribute to UNAIDS’ leading global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030!

More than 30 years ago, His Excellency President Nelson Mandela invited the United States Peace Corps to work on two of the nation’s top priorities – education and HIV/AIDS. Volunteers have work alongside host country organizations and counterparts on projects that build relationships, promote knowledge exchange, and make a lasting and measurable impact in the communities they serve. The HIV Awareness and Prevention Program for Youth (HAPPY) project seeks to enable Orphans, Vulnerable Children and Youth (OVCY) and their families lead healthy and productive lives that contribute to an AIDS-free generation. Volunteers projects also support PLHIV (People Living with HIV). Volunteers will work with counterparts to develop and implement sustainable practices and evidence-based interventions to build the capacity of host organizations working in these areas.

Responsibilities with local counterparts could include:

• Co-facilitate youth sexual and reproductive health session focused on HIV prevention for:
o 9 to 14 year olds
o 15 to 29 year olds
• Co-facilitate economic empowerment activities for 20-29 year olds focused in community-based organizations.
• Co-facilitate activities, trainings, and session for adults in the community, (parents and/or care givers, including men)
• Co-facilitate camps, clubs, and afterschool programs for OVC.
• Co-facilitate sessions and clubs for the parents and care givers of OVC.
• Co-plan and co-facilitate training on organizational development topics.
• Coach organization members to implement organizational development skills and knowledge.
• Train community staff on how to provide youth friendly services.
• Coach community-based staff on how to link to girls' and women's and youth friendly services.

Partner Organizations
Volunteers will be placed with a community-based organization that is linked to a health facility in rural South Africa. These organizations can vary greatly from established, well-known international NGOs that receive sufficient funding to small community-based or church-based charity organizations operating on a very limited budget.

Secondary Projects and Work Schedule
Volunteers will have the opportunity to collaborate with local partners on educational and other community-identified secondary projects. Additionally, Peace Corps South Africa promotes girls’ education and empowerment. Volunteers will receive training on the South Africa context and will have the opportunity to implement culturally appropriate empowerment activities alongside community counterparts.

A Health Volunteer’s schedule will vary from that of a typical “business” workday. Volunteers may have a less formal schedule with activities occurring during a variety of days, times, and locations in the community. Meetings and activities can happen on any day of the week and some days, Volunteers may have no formal work activities and will be free to work on secondary projects. Volunteers may also have opportunities to work in schools and with out-of-school youth on health education, climate resistance, and girls' empowerment.

Training
During Pre-Service Training (PST), Volunteers will learn and develop the skills and knowledge required for a successful service. PST is considered an intensive training period where Volunteers will live with a host family and receive training on key technical, intercultural, language, medical, and safety and security aspects within the context of South Africa’s rural and urban settings.

NOTE: Due to the South African visa requirements, if you have ever been cited for, arrested, charged with, or convicted of any offense, regardless of whether a citation, charge, arrest, or conviction has been sealed, dismissed, or expunged from your record (excluding minor traffic violations, traffic citations, and parking tickets), your visa application may be rejected.

Required skills

Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in the health sector and one or more of the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years' professional work experience

Desired skills

Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
• Master of Public Health degree or Master of Arts/Master of Science degree in Public Health
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition, Health, or Nursing

Peace Corps South Africa prefers that candidates have experience working with vulnerable populations including women, youth and children. It is advantageous for candidates to have a demonstrated record of volunteerism that reflects a personal commitment to health and social services.

The most competitive candidates will have knowledge and experience working in one of more of the following fields:
• Youth health and/or youth development
• Women’s health and/or gender-based violence
• HIV/AIDS, TB, sexual and reproductive health
• Alcohol/substance abuse prevention/mitigation

Required language skills

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position. There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.

There are 12 official languages in South Africa - Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, South African Sign Language, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu and English. While you are not expected to know a South African language before arrival, learning the assigned South African language is critical to Volunteer success. By the end of Pre-Service Training, Trainees will be expected to meet language proficiency requirements.

Living conditions

Housing
After successfully completing Pre-Service Training, Volunteers will be assigned to work in a rural community center. Typically, Volunteer housing is in the same community served by the community organization. It is likely you will live within the compound of a host family but have your own room/dwelling separate from the main house, or in a room that is attached to the house with its own entrance. Peace Corps ensures that all Volunteer housing meets a minimum standard, but housing varies widely in South Africa. Some Volunteers have running water and electricity, while many do not. Volunteers with access to electricity often experience significant outages for hours or days at a time. Many Volunteers have access to the internet via smartphones, although the signal can be inconsistent and lapses in coverage are common.

Participation in Cultural Events in the Community

Volunteers will be invited to participate in many communal, religious, and social events during their time service. It is one of many ways to integrate with host families and communities. These are very common during the festive season around Christmastime, New Year, and Easter. Volunteers are encouraged to take part in these occasions as they will enrich the Volunteer’s experience in South Africa.

Appearance and Dress

Personal appearance is important in South Africa. During PST, the dress code is business casual. Following PST, you are expected to adhere to professional dress standards for work situations in your community. Professional dress implies dress slacks (no jeans), collared shirts, long skirts, dresses, or dress slacks. Volunteers are expected to always maintain a clean and groomed appearance as this does affect the community’s perception of the volunteer.

You can find out more about living conditions in South Africa here: https://www.peacecorps.gov/south-africa/living-conditions/

Intercultural Challenges

South Africa is a diverse country with a complex history that continues to affect the country politically, economically, and socially. South Africa lived under the Apartheid system of institutionalized racial segregation between 1948 and 1994. Living and working in South Africa means negotiating economic disparity daily. The post-apartheid reality of South Africa means that Volunteers should be prepared to live, work, and navigate issues such as post-trauma stress, economic challenges, interpersonal/intercultural challenges, and unresolved conflict that still present barriers to day-to-day work. Challenges Volunteers may face include harassment related to sex, skin color, socioeconomic status, and language.

Racial and Religious Identification
Some Volunteers may experience a high degree of curiosity or unwanted attention from South Africans. Some Americans may be questioned about their “true nationality” as American. While this may initially irritate Volunteers, many have turned these encounters into learning experiences, deepening local community members’ understanding of America.


South Africa has legalized same-sex marriage and their community are enshrined in the Constitution. While South Africa is generally tolerant; values, morals, and judgements often differ across the country. This is especially true in rural communities where Volunteers will be placed. Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural norms and use their judgment in their communities. There are Peace Corps support networks and trainings in place for Volunteers navigating these challenges.

You can find out more about navigating identities here: https://www.peacecorps.gov/south-africa/

Learn more about the Volunteer experience in South Africa: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.

Medical considerations

Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.

Couples information

South Africa can accommodate couples in the same sector and support them living together during the entirety of Pre-Service Training and two years of service. Therefore, your partner must apply and qualify for:
• HIV Awareness and Prevention Coordinator

Couples may be asked to work in the same organization, with different defined roles, or may be placed with different organizations that are in proximity. Couples will live together and will be in similar housing to other Volunteers. Couples will either live with a host family in a separate quarter for their privacy.

The Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples, and same-sex couples are not placed in countries where homosexual acts are criminalized. Because of this, same-sex couple placements are more limited than heterosexual couple placements. During the application process Recruiters and Placement Officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities.