Health Extension Volunteer - Peace Corps Swaziland
The purpose of the Community Health project in Swaziland is to improve individual and family health by helping to reduce infectious and chronic diseases and develop healthy behaviors. There are three goals of the project:
1) Healthy Bodies: Community members will use newly learned health knowledge and skills about health and HIV to make positive decisions about their own bodies and health.
2) Healthy Futures: Community members will be empowered with new knowledge and skills to live positively and plan for the future.
3) Healthy Homes: Community members will adopt healthy behaviors to reduce infectious diseases and improve environmental health in the home.
The Community Health Project places Peace Corps Volunteers in rural areas of Swaziland. Volunteers work with a variety of counterparts including clinic staff, youth groups, rural health motivators, and religious and community leaders. Volunteers will have the opportunity to address key health challenges in Swaziland, especially HIV prevention and care for youth infected and affected by HIV. Volunteers will work in a range of health-related areas, including water and sanitation, youth sexual reproductive health, substance abuse prevention, and nutrition (through education and bio-intensive local food production and use of improved cookstoves).
Volunteers must demonstrate creativity and tenacity to design and implement projects in areas of high HIV infection. Volunteers will work closely with, and augment the work of, Youth Development Volunteers in Swaziland.
1) Healthy Bodies: Community members will use newly learned health knowledge and skills about health and HIV to make positive decisions about their own bodies and health.
2) Healthy Futures: Community members will be empowered with new knowledge and skills to live positively and plan for the future.
3) Healthy Homes: Community members will adopt healthy behaviors to reduce infectious diseases and improve environmental health in the home.
The Community Health Project places Peace Corps Volunteers in rural areas of Swaziland. Volunteers work with a variety of counterparts including clinic staff, youth groups, rural health motivators, and religious and community leaders. Volunteers will have the opportunity to address key health challenges in Swaziland, especially HIV prevention and care for youth infected and affected by HIV. Volunteers will work in a range of health-related areas, including water and sanitation, youth sexual reproductive health, substance abuse prevention, and nutrition (through education and bio-intensive local food production and use of improved cookstoves).
Volunteers must demonstrate creativity and tenacity to design and implement projects in areas of high HIV infection. Volunteers will work closely with, and augment the work of, Youth Development Volunteers in Swaziland.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in the health sector and one or more of the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years' professional work experience
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years' professional work experience
Desired Skills
• Desire to work with both adults and children
• Willingness to work and live with HIV positive and HIV affected populations
• Experience working with the ill in hospice and/or hospital settings (i.e. hospice volunteer, work in a hospital setting, HIV/AIDS home-based care)
• Willingness to work and live with HIV positive and HIV affected populations
• Experience working with the ill in hospice and/or hospital settings (i.e. hospice volunteer, work in a hospital setting, HIV/AIDS home-based care)
Required Language Skills
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position. Please take a moment to explore the Language Comments section below to find out more on how local language(s) will be utilized during service.
Additional Language Information
SiSwati is the national language along with English. It is easy to speak English all over Swaziland, but truly successful service and integration only happens when the Volunteer learns siSwati. The English prevalence makes "immersion learning" a challenge. Volunteers must actively pursue their language learning to have success
Living Conditions
Swaziland's communities are not traditional "villages." The distance between homes in a community is often well over a half mile. Volunteers must regularly walk at least three miles a day in mountainous terrain to get to work and do daily errands. Water must often be carried a mile in these same conditions from the community well.
The weather across this small nation can vary greatly from very cold winters in houses with little insulation, to extremely hot summers. Candidates should be prepared to serve in a variety of climates.
Similarly, some Volunteers will serve in well-appointed houses with modern conveniences, while others will live in mud single-room houses with no running water or electricity. A willingness to accept an assignment in a wide array of living situations is critical. Volunteers may live with a homestay family for the duration of their service.
The HIV epidemic has had a devastating impact on most communities in rural Swaziland, leading to a shortage of human resources at all levels of society.
Peace Corps service in Swaziland may be challenging for minority volunteers as it is in much of Africa. In line with the Peace Corps’ second goal, Volunteers in Swaziland seek to share the diversity and depth of American culture with their communities.
Swaziland is one of the Peace Corps countries participating in Let Girls Learn, an important initiative promoting gender awareness and girls’ education and empowerment. You will receive in-depth training on incorporating methods of gender analysis into community assessment and development efforts. During your service you will find culturally appropriate ways to incorporate gender awareness and the promotion of youth- especially girls- into your work. As part of the initiative, you will also report on these efforts and their impact.
Couples are encouraged to apply. Note that spouses may be separated during pre-service training.
The weather across this small nation can vary greatly from very cold winters in houses with little insulation, to extremely hot summers. Candidates should be prepared to serve in a variety of climates.
Similarly, some Volunteers will serve in well-appointed houses with modern conveniences, while others will live in mud single-room houses with no running water or electricity. A willingness to accept an assignment in a wide array of living situations is critical. Volunteers may live with a homestay family for the duration of their service.
The HIV epidemic has had a devastating impact on most communities in rural Swaziland, leading to a shortage of human resources at all levels of society.
Peace Corps service in Swaziland may be challenging for minority volunteers as it is in much of Africa. In line with the Peace Corps’ second goal, Volunteers in Swaziland seek to share the diversity and depth of American culture with their communities.
Swaziland is one of the Peace Corps countries participating in Let Girls Learn, an important initiative promoting gender awareness and girls’ education and empowerment. You will receive in-depth training on incorporating methods of gender analysis into community assessment and development efforts. During your service you will find culturally appropriate ways to incorporate gender awareness and the promotion of youth- especially girls- into your work. As part of the initiative, you will also report on these efforts and their impact.
Couples are encouraged to apply. Note that spouses may be separated during pre-service training.
Medical Considerations in Swaziland
- Swaziland may not be able to support Volunteers with the following medical conditions: asthma, including mild and childhood; cardiology; dermatology; insulin-dependent diabetes; gastroenterology; ongoing behavioral health support; some types of gynecologic support; seizure disorder.
- The following medication(s) are not permitted for legal or cultural reasons: none identified.
- Volunteers who should avoid the following food(s) may not be able to serve: eggs. After arrival in Swaziland, Peace Corps provides and applicants are required to have an annual flu shot, to take daily or weekly medication to prevent malaria, and to receive mandatory immunizations.
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