BACKGROUND:
Farm Africa vision is a prosperous rural Africa. We are a specialist development NGO working with smallholder farmers, forest communities, local government and private sectors across East Africa for the last 30 years. With community engagement underpinning our approach, we design and implement sustainable solution to rural poverty based on evidence and best practices. In 2015 we reached approximately 1.8 million pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, farmers and forest dwellers in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Farm Africa has worked in Ethiopia for over 28 years, throughout Oromia, SNNPR, Benishangul, Tigray and Afar regions. With funding from a range of institutional donors and foundations including DFID, EU, Irish Aid, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Comic Relief, Barr Foundation, and Ashden Charitable Trust, we have implemented a large portfolio of projects primarily focusing on three areas: agriculture (crop and livestock production), natural resource management, and market engagement. We implement projects directly with communities and these three approaches are further enhanced with integration of cross cutting issues such as climate change, gender and capacity building.
With almost 100 staffs in Ethiopia we align our work closely with regional and local government, civil society and the private sector. In addition to directly implementing projects within our core thematic expertise, we build local civil society organizations (CSOs) both to enhance development impact at community level and increase accountability and professional project management. As such Farm Africa directly contributes to the government of Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan and implementing its climate resilient green economy (CRGE) strategy.
The ‘Livelihood Promotion and Resilience Building of host and refugee communities in the Dollo Ado area of the Somali Region’ project is a resilience project initiated by group of NGOs with the objective of reducing food aid dependence and fostering development of a system of sustainable livelihoods and incomes for vulnerable refugee and host communities in Dollo Ado area of the Somali Regional state. It forms part of a bigger project called ‘Innovative Approaches to Building Resilience for Vulnerable Populations in Ethiopia’ led by WFP and funded by SIDA.
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The role of Irrigation Agronomist is to contribute in the planning and implementation of all measures related to irrigated agriculture development where farm Africa engaged to run this project. The post holder will provide technical advice on irrigation scheme design and construction, water management, irrigation development, drainage, flood control, water user association organization & strengthening and infrastructure development works; promote small
scale irrigation scheme combined with best agronomic practices and promote high value crops that provide quick and high return. She/he will coordinate irrigated farm demonstration site establishment following the Farmer Field school approach and ensure that beneficiaries use improved agronomic techniques and technologies.
KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Key areas of responsibilities are:
REPORTS TO: Project Coordinator
PROJECT: Livelihood Promotion and Resilience Building of host and refugee communities in the Dollo Ado area of the Somali Region
DURATION: One year with possibility of extension
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Education, qualifications & other knowledge
Experience
Skills & abilities
VALUES:
Farm Africa's values are very important to us as an employer and they are also very important to our employees. All prospective employees should take some time to carefully consider our values and how they fit with your own personal values before attending interview with Farm Africa.
Farm Africa seeks to employ those who believe, as we do, that farmers can and will play a key role in achieving long-term rural prosperity in Africa and who seek to deliver on those beliefs by: