Overseas Volunteer Opportunity - Malawi
IT Technician 
Contribute. Discover. Grow. Volunteer with CDF Canada.

Location:  Mchinji, Malawi
Start Date:  As soon as possible 
Duration: 3-6 months 
Language Requirement: English (Mandatory) 
Reporting to: Country Program Officer
No. of Positions: 1

The Project
The VOICE for Women and Girls project is a seven-year initiative (2020 – 2027) aimed at strengthening the performance of developing country partner (DCP) organizations to advance gender equality and economic empowerment of 50,000 women and men from marginalised communities, in particular young women (target: 60% women and girls), in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and Malawi with a focus on action areas of the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), namely:
•    Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls, and
•    The growth that Works for Everyone.
The Project responds to the needs identified by women and men of cooperatives and the entire members in the countries of operation and is designed to increase the capacities of individual producers and primary co-operatives to support more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient growth. Supporting institutions, including apex co-operatives, co-operative colleges, and government/regulatory institutions will also be engaged to increase the capacity and prioritization of vulnerable groups.

Our Partner
Cooperative Development Foundation of Canada is working with Malawi Federations of Cooperatives (MAFECO) the national apex body for co-operatives. MAFECO aims to be a vibrant and sustainable national cooperative organization capable of providing quality leadership and services to the cooperative movement in Malawi. The organization has a vision to facilitate and coordinate promotion, development, and growth of sustainable, independent, and autonomous cooperatives in a competitive environment.

Your Assignment 
The volunteer will be report directly to the Country program officer, who is responsible for coordinating all project activities in the country. The volunteer will be required to work hand in hand withte manager and staff of Mchinji Community Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) located in Mchinji District, Central region of Malawi. The mandate is for a minimum of 6 months in country, with a posibility of extension. 

SACCO Brief
Mchinji Community SACCO officially started out as a teacher’s SACCO. The SACCO is in Mchinji District. The SACCO provides its financial services to employees as well as farmers. Although on the right path, the SACCO has been facing some setbacks in governance and capacity gaps in its board and staff. The SACCO is planning to upgrade its systems, catching up with time, by upgrading their information technology sector. 
Objectives
The main objective of the mandate is for the volunteer to support Credit Unions/SACCOs on its IT needs, with a focus on improving its current systems. The volunteer will also be required to provide training and coaching to the management of the SACCOs on how to use and maintain their system. The volunteer will eventually be required to document the volunteer experience in Malawi so it can advise on the recruitment of more international volunteers to support the project. 
Deliverables
a. SACCO support 
i.    Local Server Security Management & Network Administration
ii.    Database Management System Administration
iii.    Email Server Management 
iv.    Web Hosting & Server Administration
v.    Data Backup & Recovery in Cloud Computing
vi.    Ensure security and privacy of networks and computer systems.
vii.    Provide orientation and guidance to users on how to operate new software and computer equipment.
viii.    Organize and schedule upgrades and maintenance without deterring others from completing their work. 
ix.    Perform troubleshooting to diagnose and resolve problems (repair or replace parts, debugging etc.)
x.    Maintain records/logs of repairs and fixes and maintenance schedule.
xi.    Documenting best practices and capturing stories including to support on the Volunteer Cooperation Program awareness.
xii.    Participating in knowledge management sessions

b.    Project Management 
i.    Document all program related information and share it with the country Program officer. 
ii.    Prepare and submit reports and times sheets. 
iii.    Collect and compile relevant data required by the project. 

Qualifications
The successful applicant must possess the following skills, experiences, and personal characteristics: 
•    Proven experience as IT Technician or relevant position
•    Excellent diagnostic and problem-solving skills.
•    Excellent communication ability.
•    Outstanding organizational and time-management skills.
•    In-depth understanding of diverse computer systems and networks.
•    Good knowledge of internet security and data privacy principles.
•    Degree in Computer Science, engineering, or relevant field.

Terms and Conditions 
This is a voluntary assignment. CDF Canada supports volunteers through the provision of a comprehensive package designed to cover a modest and healthy lifestyle, while allowing for effectiveness in the placement:
 
• Return international and domestic airfare.
• Ground transportation.
• Accommodation.
• Meal and incidental allowance.
• Visa-related costs (if needed). 
• Travel insurance.
• Vaccination-related costs (if needed).
• Dedicated interpreter/translator (if needed and depending on the position and duration of the assignment).
• Pre-departure support and orientation.
• Support and orientation during the assignment.
• Debriefing upon completion of the assignment.

E-volunteering
Depending on the nature of the placement, volunteers are encouraged to provide e-volunteering support to our local partners or CDF Canada before or after their placement. Volunteers also have the option of requesting support from an e-volunteer to help them with their work while they are in placement. 
 
Engaging Canadians 
CDF Canada provides technical and logistical support to young and experienced professional through volunteer assignments to apply and gain new skills and knowledge in international co-operative development.  We ask each volunteer, regardless of placement duration, to share her/his experience during and/or upon completion of their assignment either in the country of assignment and in Canada. Experience may be shared through providing human interest stories and photographs that can be used for social media outreach; participating in organized talks at universities or other public engagement activities to share and tell their experiences to motivate others.  

Application Process
Please submit your CV as soon as possible. You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Successful candidates will be required to obtain a police-check from their local police police/RCMP detachment. All applicants are thanked for their interest in CDF Canada; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.