Apply for an exchange year in Harare, Zimbabwe

The Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund (SAIH), in collaboration with our Zimbabwean partner the Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT), is now recruiting two new Norwegian exchange participants through the NOREC Professional Exchange Program. Through this program you will have the opportunity to work with YETT, as well as the Zimbabwe National Students’ Union (ZINASU) and other organisations and activists fighting for human rights and academic freedom of students and academics in Zimbabwe. This call for applicants is with one reservation: as the political situation in Zimbabwe is unstable there might be changes to the program. 

Contact Hege Ottesen for more information: hege.ottesen@saih.no, +47 986 02 670.

Information

SAIH is a Norwegian solidarity organization of students and academics. Our goal is that all young people have access to quality education, in order to contribute to a more just society. Through higher education and training, young people are given the tools for critical and independent thinking, so that they can participate in public debate and help create a more just and inclusive society.

SAIH works with students and academics across Norway and collaborates with 30 organizations in seven countries in Latin America, Southern Africa and Asia.

SAIH has collaborated with the Zimbabwean Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust since 2012. YETT is a youth networking organization committed to the full participation of young people in sustainable development. In many countries, students and academics are facing threat and harassment when engaging politically, and both YETT and SAIH aims to support those that are speaking out and to promote academic freedom.

As an exchange participant you will contribute to SAIH and YETT’s work. You will be based in Harare, and work out of YETT’s office, while also collaborating closely with other organisations throughout the country. The exchange starts with a 1-week introduction course in Oslo in August, followed by a preparation course in Johannesburg (South Africa), before the placement in Zimbabwe begins. You will stay in Zimbabwe for 12 months and return to Norway mid-August 2020. After your return you will be committed to spend 8 weeks (part time) carrying out follow-up work, with a focus on sharing the experiences and knowledge you have gained with SAIH and fellow Norwegian activists. SAIH is looking for two persons between the ages 22 – 35 with a background from student/youth organising and/or leadership, some professional experience, and keen interest in the field of higher education, academic freedom and policy engagement.

Location: Harare (prep and follow-up in Oslo)

Contract Length: 12 months placement + preparatory and follow-up work

SAIH covers costs of: travel, accommodation, salary (of approximately 15000 kr. per month), insurance and vaccinations. Preparation course/homecoming seminar is also catered for.

Key Responsibilites

• Facilitate meetings with student unions and youth organisations.
• Present and participate in discussions on issues of student rights, particularly bringing in experience from the Norwegian context.
• Participate in research projects on higher education, students’ and youth issues.
• Support YETT with organising and managing advocacy campaigns, as well as help creating synergies between SAIH and YETT campaign projects.
• Contribute to workshops and training of student unions and activists, for example around running creative advocacy campaigns and conducting peaceful activism.
• Host seminars or workshops on organizational capacity and sustainability of student and youth organizations.
• Project management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
• Contribute to YETT and SAIH’s communication work, including writing reports, articles, and blogs on the political situation in Zimbabwe, YETT’s work, education and students’ issues and academic freedom.
• Support documentation and verification of rights violations against students.
• Organise meetings, including content, preparation, material development, logistics.
• Help to facilitate virtual and face-to-face dialogue platforms and webinars.
• Assist with budgeting and administration tasks.

Person Specification

Professional experience

• Completed higher education (Bachelor’s or Master’s degree).
• Experience with managing advocacy and campaigns.
• Experience from active engagement in student/youth organisation, preferably having held a leadership role.
• Having engaged with policy/lobbying on relevant topics, e.g. students’ rights, education financing, criminalisation of students, academic freedom etc.
• Good research and analytical skills.
• Some experience from project management, monitoring and evaluation, or results reporting.
• Experience from organising events, meetings, capacity building trainings.
• Excellent knowledge of internet and social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogging etc.
• Basic skill in office administration and financial management.
• Keen passion for students’ rights, and interest in strengthening knowledge of Zimbabwe.

Personal qualities

• Culturally sensitive, comfortable in an environment you are not used to, where there are language barriers.
• Flexible and willing to take on new tasks, often on short notice.
• Proactive approach to work tasks, able to think creatively and identify new work areas.
• Independent and hard-working
• Able to work under minimum supervision.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a keen interest in reaching out to new people and learning from others.
• Positive, outgoing and social.
• Adventurous!

Send CV and motivation letter (in English) by April 1st to stilling@saih.no. Please write ‘NOREC Professional exchange’ in the email subject line. Interviews will be held iduring April. 

For more information contact program advisor and exchange coordinator, Hege Ottesen: hege.ottesen@saih.no, phone 986 02 670.

SAIH is committed to equal opportunities and will highlight gender equality in this recruitment process.