CHOSA (Children of South Africa) is calling for applications for the position of Community Coordinator. She/he will work in various townships in Cape Town to further CHOSA’s mission, which is to identify and support communities and community-based organisations (CBOs) that reach out and take care of orphans and other vulnerable children in South Africa.

• Time commitment: 40 hours per week (and occasional work on weekends)
• Start Date: April 1, 2016
• Duration: One year contract with possibility of extension; preference for candidates who can commit to 18 months or longer.
• Salary: R7 548/month plus compensation for CHOSA-related expenses (petrol, car maintenance, telephone, internet, printing, office supplies).

More about CHOSA: CHOSA, established in 2005, takes a holistic and non-directive approach to community development. CHOSA’s goal is to facilitate the empowerment of marginalised people as they seek to serve the orphaned and vulnerable children in their communities. Through community participation and ownership of the development process, CHOSA promotes local action, self-empowerment, and peer-to-peer networking as essential strategies for community-driven development.

Job requirements

• Drivers license: To qualify for the position, you must have a valid drivers’ license. Please indicate in your motivational letter that you are in possession of a valid drivers’ license, and bring it to any subsequent interview.
• Languages: Fluency in English. Fluency or willingness to learn isiXhosa;
• Computer literacy: Fluency in use of internet, email, office programmes (in particular command of spreadsheets and word processors);
• Experience: Volunteer/research/work experience with community organisations;
• Writing skills: Strong writing skills and ability to write thoughtful letters, proposals, articles and other types of documents in English;
• Communication skills: Ability to work well with and communicate with people in a non-domineering or authoritarian manner. Ability to navigate and stay out of personal disputes while still maintaining open lines of communication;
• Respect for others: Able to respect and treat equally people of different cultures and ethnicities. Should not discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, origin, etc. Should treat each individual as an equal;
• Strong work ethic: Able to work independently and creatively without someone telling you what to do. Able to set own appointments, manage own schedule and report back on work;
• Cooperation skills: willingness and ability to work in a cooperative environment with a flat structure and based on consensus decision-making.
• Democratic process: Should have an understanding of and predisposition towards advocating for democratic forms of community governance.

To apply, submit your CV with three contactable references, a short motivational letter, and a writing sample (maximum 200 words) to [email protected]. The application deadline is the 18^th of March 2016.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Candidates who have received no response within two weeks of the closing date should assume their application was unsuccessful. For more about Children of South Africa, refer to http://www.chosa.org.

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Full list of job responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities

1. Find partner communities and organisations for CHOSA

• Look for and connect with active communities who have set up their own child-related CBOs or intend on setting up child-related CBOs
• Establish a relationship with communities and/or CBOs
• Encourage relationships with communities that have set up democratic governance structures in order to oversee the development of children’s projects in their communities
• Encourage relationships with small grassroots CBOs that want to set up strong accountable structures

2. Work with partner communities on their child-related CBOs

• To listen to the communities and support the communities in carrying out their own decisions.
• Attend community and committee meetings where asked, including meetings after hours and on weekends
• Community facilitator → facilitate informal and sometimes formal discussions and workshops with community members. Where necessary, find individuals and/or NGOs to facilitate these discussions and workshops
• Motivate community leaders and community members to take part
• When asked, one can decide to play a supportive role within the projects / community as long as initiative is not taken away from the community.
• Help the children’s projects and the community network between one another.
• Report back to the communities where necessary and where requested. Report back to CHOSA on each communities’ finances and general progress.

3. Work with partner CBOs that CHOSA supports in Cape Town.

• Hold regular meetings with each relevant project. Frequency dependent on the needs but should not be less than once every two weeks at each organisation. The purposes of these meetings are:
  • To continue/build open and trusting relationships with the CBOs;
  • Receive updates on the progress of the CBO;
  • Receive accounting for funds if there is a CHOSA grant in place;
  • Work with the CBOs to develop their organisation in ways that fit with their goals for development and assist in this process of growth. This is also a time to discuss internal/external problems, and ways in which CHOSA can support the project either directly or through referrals;
• Participate in annual meetings with each CBO’s Board of Directors;
• Ensure that the CBO is able to prepare a financial report back to CHOSA. If the organisation lacks the ability to prepare such a statement, then the coordinator should request more frequent (preferably monthly) engagement with the organization’s bookkeeper to ensure the project’s finances are in order;
• Report back to CHOSA on each organisation’s finances and general progress.

4. Liaise amongst CHOSA staff and to CHOSA general membership (board)

• Write up summary report every four months to CHOSA general membership about all on-ground work. (Responsibility rotates monthly amongst staff).
• Attend weekly CHOSA staff meetings
• Attend all CHOSA General Membership (Board) Meetings

5. Organise networking events

• Work with organisations and communities to determine needed workshop themes;
• Work with other staff to organise four networking workshops per year that bring together the staff and management of many CHOSA-supported projects.

6. Rotating roles

• Staff Coordinator role
  • Duration – three months per year
  • Facilitator and trouble-shooter to ensure effective running of CHOSA
  • Act as caretaker of CHOSA’s operational and cultural goals
  • Promote collective accountability and cooperation amongst staff
  • Conduct performance reviews and evaluations
• Act as minute taker at staff meetings and other meetings
• Cleaning the office – 1 week per month
• Organise monthly off-site staff team building meetings – once per quarter

Additional possible responsibilities

7. May be asked to take responsibility for CHOSA finances
8. May be ask to be responsible for ensuring that CHOSA follows all legal requirements
9. Ensure CHOSA Board Meetings take place
10. Promote and manage CHOSA social networks

• Manage CHOSA website, twitter, facebook, etc. pages
• Mange the CHOSA email account

11. Fundraising

• Work with CHOSA Fundraising Coordinators and Board Members on all aspects of fundraising
• Help organise and attend various CHOSA fundraisers
• Liaise with CHOSA major donors and Board Members with regards to fundraising
• Organize and deliver in-kind donations
• Connect local donors to projects they can support directly, when opportunities arise.

12. Show current/potential donors around to visit the projects
13. Represent CHOSA at certain events
14. Support CHOSA volunteers

• Liaise with and support volunteers
• Coordinate after-school programs where necessary