NUTRITION FIELD FACILITATOR – Civil Society Nutrition Alliance (CSONA)

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate and conduct monthly Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP) sessions for under-five children in collaboration with HSAs.
• Mobilise pregnant women and caregivers of under-five children for monthly growth monitoring, antenatal care (ANC) visits, and nutrition screening.
• Facilitate Community-Led Complementary Feeding and Learning Sessions (CCFLS) and supervise the distribution and utilisation of fortified blends such as Likuni Phala.
• Plan and conduct community cooking demonstrations and nutrition open days to promote appropriate feeding practices and the use of locally available nutrient-dense foods.
• Orient cluster leaders and promoters in mass nutrition screening using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapes.
• Conduct door-to-door follow-up visits for children discharged from Nutrition Rehabilitation Units (NRUs) and Outpatient Therapeutic Programmes (OTP).
• Disseminate Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) messages and distribute Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials promoting dietary diversification.
• Establish and manage community demonstration backyard gardens using the Care Group approach in collaboration with AEDOs.
• Train target households, promoters, and cluster leaders in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), food processing, utilisation, and preservation.
• Facilitate community procurement, distribution, and monitoring of planting materials for biofortified and micronutrient-rich crops, including high-iron and zinc beans, Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) vines, orange maize/sorghum, fruit trees, and indigenous vegetables.
• Facilitate basic entrepreneurship and income-generating activities for local Care Groups and nutrition structures.
• Conduct youth-focused cooking demonstrations and nutrition awareness sessions for adolescent groups.
• Facilitate training for adolescents on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and essential life skills.
• Support School Health and Nutrition teachers, HSAs, and promoters in implementing Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation and deworming campaigns for in-school and out-of-school adolescents.
• Oversee community delivery and distribution of youth recreational supplies, including sports equipment and board games, to promote group participation and peer support.
• Facilitate community roadshows, dialogue sessions, and awareness campaigns on WASH, hygiene practices, and disease prevention.
• Work with theatre groups and other community communication platforms to promote WASH and hygiene messages.
• Lead community campaigns promoting the construction, maintenance, and hygienic use of household sanitary facilities.
• Train cluster leaders, promoters, and community structures in hygienic child-feeding practices and food safety.
• Support the formation, revitalisation, and ongoing mentorship of community structures, including Village Nutrition Coordination Committees (VNCCs), Area Nutrition Coordination Committees (ANCCs), Community Leadership Action Networks (CLANs/ACLANs), and Care Groups.
• Orient local committees, including VDCs, ADCs, ANCCs, and VNCCs, as well as community initiators, on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Feeding guidelines.
• Facilitate periodic review and planning meetings with ANCCs, VNCCs, promoters, and cluster leaders to monitor progress, address operational challenges, and gather community feedback.
• Maintain up-to-date beneficiary registers, activity logs, and training records.
• Compile and submit routine monthly field progress reports to the M&E Officer and Programme Officer.
• Oversee field-level distribution of project inputs, including seeds, Likuni Phala, IEC materials, and youth kits.
• Compile attendance lists for local activity stipends and allowances.
• Document success stories, case studies, lessons learned, and best practices emerging from community interventions.

Requirements

• Minimum of a Diploma in Nutrition and Food Sciences, Public Health, Human Nutrition, Community Development, or a closely related field.
• 1 to 3 years of practical, field-based experience implementing community nutrition, maternal and child health, biofortified agriculture, or WASH programmes in Malawi.
• Demonstrated experience working with Ministry of Health structures, including HSAs, and Ministry of Agriculture structures, including AEDOs, as well as local governance bodies such as VNCCs, ANCCs, VDCs, and ADCs.
• Practical experience in Care Group methodology, Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP), Community-Led Complementary Feeding and Learning Sessions (CCFLS), and community-level training.
• A valid Malawian motorcycle riding licence, or willingness and ability to ride a motorcycle daily across rural terrain, is strongly required.
• Fluency in Chichewa and relevant local community languages is required.
• Good spoken and written English for reporting and communication purposes.
• Strong community mobilisation, public speaking, group facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Basic computer literacy, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and mobile data collection tools.
• Strong commitment to child protection, gender equality, inclusion of vulnerable groups, and community accountability.

How to Apply