General Food Distribution Assistant at Albarka Healthspring Foundation

Project Implementation and Justification

• Northwest Nigeria is facing a food insecurity and malnutrition situation which continues to get worse because of banditry and conflicts between herders and farmers on one hand; and on the other hand, due to a volatile economic situation defined by inflation and devaluation of the Naira among others.
• The result of the recently concluded March 2024 Cadre Harmonise analysis indicates that 29 percent (6,285,032 individuals) of the estimated population in the three northwestern states are in CH phases 3-4; of which about 8 percent are in Sokoto. Since the year 2020, WFP had implemented several activities in response to the food and nutrition insecurity ravaging the NW of Nigeria.
• WFP plans to distribute 888MT of the wheat grain received from Ukraine to assist 39,084 of the vulnerable affected population in northwest Nigeria covering Sokoto for three months starting from the onset of the 2024 lean season, the month of July. This is part of an integrated approach that the WFP initiated to combine with other WFP ongoing/planned interventions to make a maximum impact on the food needs, well-being, and resilience of the affected population.

Job Summary

• The GFD Distribution Assistants will be responsible for the implementation of General Food Distribution focusing on vulnerable host communities.
• He/She must ensures equitable distribution, monitoring, and mobilization of the community to encourage their participation in the distribution activities.
• He/She will ensure proper verification of beneficiaries, taking full accountability for receiving and distributing commodities, ensuring each beneficiary receives appropriate entitlement/ration, and ensuring that the distribution is implemented according to the standards and best practices.

Main Duties / Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the GFD Officer, and in collaboration with the Project Manager, and other collaborators of the projects, he/she will:

• Arrange and organize distributions according to the SOP defined by WFP and AHSF. Make proper requests following the established process to make sure the right quantity of food is requested. Supervise loading of the food that is left over after distributions. Ensure a waybill is prepared for food to be returned to the warehouse.
• Prepare daily, weekly, and monthly distribution reports and ensure proper accounting of all quantities of commodities received and distributed at each distribution point.
• Ensure proper completion and safe return of all tally documents and beneficiary lists to the office for safe storage.
• Overseeing the entire distribution site, ensuring safety for the beneficiaries, AHSF distribution team, and food items.
• Organizing beneficiaries in straight lines at the distribution and maintaining order through strong and positive communication and a gracious attitude.
• Verifying required head of household identification cards at the gate or entry point to ensure the family is entitled to receive a ration.
• Identifying vulnerable beneficiaries (widows, pregnant women, elderly) to ensure they are prioritized in receiving their rations.
• Distribution of food commodities to eligible beneficiaries by strictly following the verification process and methodology and standards defined by WFP and AHSF.
• To foresee crowd control, verification of beneficiary, and receipt of entitled commodities by the beneficiary in the exact amount as entitled in methodology.
• Ensure that all commodities entrusted to AHSF arriving at the food distribution point are properly accounted for.
• Scrutinize all waybills for commodities arriving at the distribution points. Ensure the commodities are of correct quantities and quality as manifested on the waybill. Immediately record all quantities delivered, missing, quantities lost in transit, and damaged (In the field and FDP). All observations must be recorded immediately.
• Ensure Commodities are carefully counted during off-loading and loading.
• Take an active role in registering and verifying beneficiaries to ensure the process is fair and smooth.
• Making sure that food distribution points are properly organized and secured with ropes/caution tape or demarcated and cordoned and crowd control measures are taken to ensure smooth distribution and flow of beneficiaries.
• Responsible for ensuring all necessary distribution equipment are available at the distribution point, including forms, ropes, banners, plastic sheets, measuring devices, etc.
• Conduct sensitization, mobilization, registration and delivering technical support and oversight to targeted communities / groups to ensure that food items are timely distributed to the deserving beneficiaries.
• Represent AHSF in the field and ensure no fraud or irregularities occur.
• Lead community sensitization/training on project activities on food utilization.
• Work with program teams to ensure AHSF information on program activities is shared within LGAs and provide beneficiary feedback in line with relevant guidelines and framework.
• Collaborate with government and humanitarian partners to ensure the smooth sharing of information in consultation with the GFD Officer/Project Manager.

Code of Conduct and Associated Policies:

• Treat beneficiaries with dignity and apply AHSF’s Code of Ethics and Conduct, the UN Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in the field, including sensitizing Field Monitors and vendors/agents on such principles.
• Promote the zero-tolerance policy regarding corruption and ensure adherence to AHSF Code of Conduct and Anti-Fraud policy.

Profile of the Candidate (Education, Training, Experience, Competences, Skills) Minimum Requirements
Education:

• University Degree, HND, or OND in Humanities, Social Science, Art or other relevant field with additional years of related work experience and/or specialized training/courses. At least 3 years working with INGO in general food assistance.

Experience:

• At least 1-2 years working in general food assistance with an INGO.
• Experience working in North West or North East Nigeria will be an added advantage.

Technical Skills & Knowledge:

• Sound understanding of general food assistance concepts and principles with a broad knowledge of best practices and techniques.
• Knowledge of conditional and un-conditional general food distribution processes and possesses the ability to quickly assimilate AHSF and donors’ processes and systems;
• Ability to rapidly analyse and integrate diverse information.

Competencies:

• Good communication and negotiation skills with the ability to persuade, influence and adapts quickly to different situations;
• Excellent oral, and writing skills.
• Well-organized and detail-oriented;
• Ability to work independently and in a team with other departments and units
• Be professional, motivated, flexible, and culturally sensitive
• Be excellent in communication skills and proficient in report writing.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office programming (Access, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word).
• Excellent communication, writing, and analytical skills.
• Ability to work in a team, and establish effective working relationships with people from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and simultaneously manage multiple tasks in an autonomous manner.
• Previous work experience with Ngo,  (I)NGOs and UN Organization is desirable

Languages:

• English fluency is a must
• Hausa fluency is a must