Ecuador Community Development Fellow

 

Start Date: Not hiring at this time

Location: Chillos Valley, Ecuador (just outside Quito)

Period of employment: 1 year (renewable)

Stipend: $8500 /year plus benefits, for full-time work (40 hours per week)

How to apply: Send a resume and cover letter describing your fit with MPI and with this position to apply@mannaproject.org.

Job Description

Manna Project International (MPI), a US-based nonprofit organization operating health, education, and economic empowerment programs in Ecuador, is looking for Community Development Fellows to strengthen our team creating communities of young leaders that help break the cycle of poverty in underserved communities around the world.

Since 2004, Manna Project International has fostered communities of talented young leaders to become the next generation of social change agents by engaging in collaborative, on-the-ground service with international communities in need. At present, about 50% of our time is spent on English, another 25% on health, and the other 25% on non-English education (creative arts, life skills, etc). Due to recent economic development in our long-term Chillos Valley site, most participants currently are middle income residents. MPI is adapting our programs and locations to benefit high need residents more. MPI’s talented staff and volunteers operate programs impacting hundreds of beneficiaries annually. We seek to empower and develop our short-term and long-term volunteers, and Fellows, through active skills building and hands-on leadership opportunities over the course of their service. For more background on MPI, please visit our website, www.mannaproject.org.

MPI has continuously grown and evolved its impact over the past 15 years through creative partnerships, award-winning programs and initiatives, and diverse sources of funding. Over our history, nearly 2000 volunteers have served around 10,000 participants in Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. These volunteers typically come from the US, are college students or recent graduates, and serve on-site for 1 week to 1 year.

The Fellow gains practical, developing-country experience managing and implementing community development projects, fulfilling nonprofit organization roles, and supervising and supporting foreign volunteers. The Fellow also gains experience with Spanish and intercultural awareness, many opportunities for personal growth, and fun connecting with U.S. peers. The stipend and benefits are designed to pay for all of a Fellow’s living expenses over the year, except international airfare. This “dream job” is a rare opportunity to gain career & leadership skills, find meaning in helping underserved people, and have many adventures in a fascinating and spectacular foreign country!

Job Responsibilities 

The Fellow works with other in-country staff to contribute to the successful and smooth implementation of community programs, volunteer oversight, operating our Community Center, and organization operations. The Fellow’s daily responsibilities vary a lot by month, and include any and all tasks necessary to maintaining and improving the community programs & administration of MPI, including but not limited to:

  1. Managing community development programs in education, health and economic livelihood (around 30% of time): Depending on the needs of the community, what activities can’t be covered by other staff, and the skills & interests of the Fellow, s/he manages and implements a set of programs assigned by the supervisor. Such programs may include public health education, English (conversation club, classes at partner schools) facilitating nutritional cooking workshops, youth sports & fitness, summer camp, supporting local professionals conduct swim therapy for special needs children, preschool classes, homework tutoring and befriending disadvantaged teen girls, organic gardening, library, kids’ guitar classes and more. Other programs may include gender empowerment, business development, sustainability & environmental conservation, computer literacy, creative arts, STEM, and more!

  2. Teaching English courses for kids and adults (30%): The Fellow teaches Manna’s English courses, one of our most successful programs with over 10 courses per trimester (Fellow teaches around 3 courses per trimester, depending on staffing). MPI provides training, curricula, and lesson plans to enable the Fellow to teach kids or adult courses alone. S/he can also help improve the curricula and lesson plans! Between Manna’s courses, and other English programs, a given Fellow in any given month could spend from 30%-70% of their work time on English.

  3. Supervising & supporting foreign volunteers (20%): For one-week college group trips, summer interns and long-term volunteers, Fellow helps with recruitment, orientation, logistics, program placements, and volunteer supervision & support.

  4. Organizational Operations (20%): The Fellow coordinates or supports various nonprofit organization roles, as assigned by the supervisor. Roles may involve: communications & social media; coordinating fundraising events, grant writing and donor cultivation; finance processes; program metrics, monitoring & evaluation; partnership development; and other administrative tasks.

Required skills/experience/training

  • A Bachelor's degree from an accredited university required

  • Commitment to MPI’s collaborative, community-based, holistic approach to community development

  • Demonstrated flexibility: with what programs & organization roles get assigned to Fellow; and with cultural & lifestyle norms in a developing country in Latin America.

  • A strong ability to multi-task and balance short- and long-term goals

  • Personal or professional cross-cultural experience

  • Lived overseas 2 months or more

  • Spanish at intermediate level preferred

  • Experience teaching English as a foreign language a plus

Comparing Program Director and Community development Fellow roles

Due to market changes, many volunteer-hosting organizations are finding it more difficult to recruit long-term, paying volunteers. Long-term volunteers are more critical to mission achievement for MPI than for many other volunteer-hosting organizations that focus on short-term volunteers. So, in fall 2019, MPI launched the new position of Community Development Fellow, that is very similar to the PD role. The main differences are the length of time (1 year v 3-7 months), and legal status (salaried, temporary employee v paying volunteer). Sometimes Fellows are older and more experienced, but not always. The job responsibilities are nearly identical, and when different between individuals depend mainly on the skills & interests of the individuals as well as the needs of the community and MPI organization.

Similarities / Differences between Fellows & PDs:

  • Candidate Requirements

    • PD: 18 years old, in college

    • Fellow: college degree

  • Legal Status

    • PD: volunteer

    • Fellow: temporary employee

    • Both roles have Ecuador visa sponsored by MPI

  • Time of Role

    • PD: 3-7 months

    • Fellow: 12 months

  • Financial Terms

    • PD: pays fees, but gets all living expenses paid by MPI

    • Fellow: earns salary

    • PD gets food, housing, trip insurance, cell phone minutes provided by MPI, whereas Fellow pays for those out-of-pocket.

  • Lead English Courses

    • PD: 10%-20% work time

    • Fellow: 30%-40% work time

    • Fellows are expected to teach more English courses (3-4 per session) than PDs (1-2 per session), but depends on skills, interests, and staffing needs.

  • How much say does person have in choosing other programs to work?

    • PD: some

    • Fellow: little

    • Both roles would be assigned based on needs of community, MPI, & individual’s skills & interests, but PDs would have more say in deciding which programs they work.

  • Role in community programs

    • PD: implementation, lead some research and strategic development

    • Fellow: implementation, can participate in research and strategic development led by Fellows and/or staff

    • PDs and Fellows work side by side in MPI led programs, as well as with community partners. Since the Fellows can potentially have more experience in community development, there may be opportunities throughout to work at a deeper level with program management (i.e. needs assessments, M&E, program adjustments).

  • Housing

    • PD: lives in MPI house for free

    • Fellow: can opt to live in the house

    • Fellows can also live outside the house, but must arrange and pay on their own

  • Leadership and career training

    • PD: hours in proportion to time with MPI

    • Fellow: 100 hours

    • Both roles get around 30 hours during on-boarding. Then another 7 hours per month, so 3-month PD would get around 21 more hours, while Fellow another 70 hours

  • MPI sponsors & pays for visa & background check

    • PD: yes

    • Fellow: yes

    • For PD, MPI pays up front, but for Fellow MPI reimburses Fellow up to $550 at end of contract. If Fellow resigns early, MPI does not reimburse.

Additional information

Reports to:  Country Director – Ecuador

Compensation:  Stipend of $8500 per year, as an employee of MPI’s U.S. organization.

Benefits as below:

  • Two weeks paid vacation

  • Ten national holidays of Ecuador

  • Emergency Travel Insurance (covers emergency medical care & evacuation)

  • Visa to live/work in Ecuador for the duration of employment with MPI

  • Leadership & professional development: paid quarterly retreats and monthly workshops, mentoring & other training.

  • Coverage of all work-related transportation and communication expenses

  • Option to share MPI group housing and meals at a major discount

Responsibility of Fellow:  

  • International flight

  • Employee share of U.S. & state income taxes

  • Health insurance

  • Housing

  • Food

  • Transport to and from home to work site (MPI pays for on-the-job transport)

  • Cell phone & local usage plan

  • Cultural activities

How to apply: Send a resume and cover letter describing your fit with MPI and with this position to apply@mannaproject.org.

Please Note: Only shortlisted applicants will be notified.