PSEA National Focal Point at ALIMA

ALIMA in NIGERIA

The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s northeast and the Lake Chad region is one of the most severe ongoing crises in the world, now entering its ninth year and showing no sign of abating.

In 2021, at least 8.7 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in the worst-affected states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe. Up to 5.1 million people risk being critically food insecure during the next lean season (June August 2021), a level similar to 2016-2017 when famine was looming over Borno State.

Nigeria is now facing a second wave of COVID-19 infections. Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states have recorded new cases. Aid actors are intensifying actions and prevention measures

Despite challenges including humanitarian space reduction, aid workers had already provided around 5 million people with life-saving assistance in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states in 2020.

Conflict, explosive remnants of war, and insecurity have cut people off from their main means of livelihoods-farming and fishing. This causes major food insecurity in northeast Nigeria, which COVID-19’s effects on incomes have exacerbated: despite good crop yields, food insecurity is rising. Findings of the October 2020 Cadre Harmonisé (CH) analysis projected that about 5.1 million people in the three states will be food-insecure in the lean season between June and August 2021 – a 19% and 34% increase in 2020 (after COVID-19 June CH Update) and 2019 figures respectively. According to the Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance Round 9, conducted in October 2020, the level of acute malnutrition increased in all three states compared to 2019. Global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates of 10.7% were recorded in Borno, 7.5% in Adamawa, and 13.6% in Yobe. According to the survey, several LGAs had high pockets of global acute malnutrition above the 15% threshold (emergency phase), including Gubio, Magumeri, Mobbar, and Bayo in Borno State and all LGAs in northern Yobe. Movement restrictions and insecurity continue to hamper the ability of IDPs, returnees, and the host communities to access basic services, livelihoods, and land for farming and grazing. This means that more people will rely on humanitarian aid to survive in 2021.

In 2017, ALIMA continued to implement projects in Muna Garage in Jere LGA, where ALIMA performs general consultations for children under 5 and provides Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) to pregnant and lactating women (antenatal and postnatal consultations). An Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding Program (OTP) is also available for children under 5 suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in the clinic, where women and caretakers are trained to screen their children for malnutrition using the MUAC tape.

In Maiduguri MC, where ALIMA is working in partnership with the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), the Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Center (ITFC) manages children under 5 suffering from SAM with medical complications in a 50-bed capacity building.

In December 2020, ALIMA conducted a needs assessment survey in the north of Yobe where a high level of acute malnutrition was recorded by the nutrition sector. The results of this survey prompted ALIMA to open a nutrition and health project covering the Kasasuwa LGA, one of the most affected LGAs, and where there was a gap. This project started in May 2021 and fund by ECHO aims to support Karasuwa health facilities and improve access to nutrition and health services including pediatric healthcare and reproductive health.

ALIMA also supports COVID-19 vaccination in Borno and Yobe with a focus on the most vulnerable.

In parallel, ALIMA is opening an emergency nutrition project in Katsina state and is present in Owo state since 2018 for Lassa fever response and research.

POST TYPOLOGY

Mission Location:

PSEA Focal Point Mission Location: Nigeria, FCT, Abuja

Project: Abuja Coordination

Management lines:

LINE MANAGER:

Human Resources Coordinator

MISSION AND MAIN ACTIVITIES

The main responsibilities of prevention focal points at the national level are as follows:

• Have an in-depth knowledge of the protection policy against abuse of power, gender-based and sexual violence and the internal investigation procedure;
• Help the head of mission to implement the protection policy and ensure follow-up, and in particular:
• Distribute the protection policy and the code of conduct as well as the appropriate elements to all persons collaborating with ALIMA;
• Participate in the development of the action plan for the implementation of the protection policy at the national and local levels.
• Monitor the action plan for the implementation of the protection policy and report regularly to the head of mission;
• Support the operational teams at the national level in the implementation of the protection policy and the code of conduct (e.g.: support the project coordinators in their risk assessment activities; propose risk reduction measures, etc.);
• Organize in-depth and adapted awareness-raising sessions on abuse of power, gender-based and sexual violence for all staff, management, and for partners;
• Ensure the training of focal points in the prevention of abuse at the local level in good practices for dealing with rumours, suspicions and complaints;
• Set up a monitoring system for focal points in the prevention of abuse at the local level;
• Develop and update a list of Abuse Protection/Prevention contacts, including internal contacts (any relevant staff within the program or at HQ) and external contacts (Abuse Prevention/PSEA staff in other INGOs, support structures for victims/survivors, heads of the protection cluster and GBV and child protection working groups, etc.);
• Communicate on the professional alert mechanism to ALIMA employees. Support focal points at the local level in setting up feedback and complaints mechanisms within communities so that they are inclusive and functional.
• Participate in meetings on sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) at the national level and in the various working groups.
• Participate in the analysis of cases of abuse of power, gender-based and sexual violence
• Maintain regular contact with the head office HR referent for reports, information sharing and feedback on issues of abuse of power, gender-based and sexual violence.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

• University degree in Public Health, Gender Studies or Social Sciences
• Experience of at least 2 years; preferably with NGOs and/or community structures in the areas of Gender and protection
• Good knowledge and use of computer tools and software Excel, Word,
• Good command of the local language Hausa, Kanuri
• Proven integrity, objectivity and professional competence
• Demonstrated experience in team management, motivation and capacity development
• Ability to manage teams remotely.
• Experience in developing/adapting capacity building tools
• Ability to lead awareness/training sessions
• Ability to mobilize
• Flexibility, ability to work under pressure and within fairly short deadlines.
• Demonstrated sensitivity and knowledge of the context in terms of gender, cultural norms, and legal framework
• Experience in caring for victims/survivors of violence and/or a very good knowledge of the principles of working with survivors of GBV is recommended.
• Understands English very well and in addition to speaking at least one of the official languages ​​of the country of intervention.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with local communities with participatory approaches
• Ability to make risk analyses based on different individual factors
• Understanding of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning processes
• Good knowledge of the principles of protection of sensitive data.
• Knowledge and experience in mainstreaming gender and protection principles

VALUES AND ATTITUDES

• Committed to gender equality and the rights of women and children.
• Ability to communicate on SEA, GBV, gender issues, and to use the required vocabulary.
• Ability to make decisions in situations of high uncertainty
• Empathy, kindness and patience
• Compliance with frameworks and procedures
• Capacity for resilience in the face of difficult and very emotional situations;
• Active listening and great ability to influence.
• Upon appointment, the person who will become the prevention focal point at the national level will undergo specific training on protection, as soon as possible. She may be accompanied by the specialist in protection/prevention of abuse at headquarters to develop her skills on specific subjects such as GBV, the survivor-centered approach, active listening, self-care, nonviolent etc
• She will also benefit from staff care measures if necessary.