Peace Corps recruits 01 Urban Agriculture Extension Agent
Project Description
Peace Corps Agriculture Volunteers fill a niche in economically challenged and food insecure communities in Senegal. Volunteers extend farming methods to community growers who work on smallholder family farms—farms that rely on family labor. They assist smallholder farmers and their families to adopt improved crop cultivation technologies and practices, conservation agriculture, home gardening, improved soil/water conservation, post-harvest management and farm management. Also, Volunteers assist household members—particularly women—to access, cook and eat more nutrient-rich foods to improve their and their families’ nutrition. Urban Agriculture Extension Agents work with individuals with less space to produce vegetables through micro gardening techniques. They may work with schools and hospitals to develop gardens for patients and schools to introduce youth to agriculture.
In Senegal, there is a need for agricultural work that appeals to youth and empowers women while promoting sustainable agriculture. Given the need to educate the next generation of farmers and gardeners, Volunteers and their community partners work with youth through schools and clubs to promote youth positive development and women’s empowerment while learning agricultural skills and growing gardens. Volunteers place emphasis on working with women to increase their productivity through increased access to extension services and other productive resources necessary for agriculture.
The goal of Peace Corps Senegal’s Agriculture project is for Senegalese communities to improve their food security and nutrition. Through the efforts of Volunteers and their partners, communities achieve this goal by working towards two objectives:
- Increase Master Farmers’ and other male, female and youth farmers’ capacity to sustainably cultivate improved varieties of staple crops for home consumption and income.
- Increase farmers’ especially youth, women and teachers capacity to sustainably grow more vegetables for home consumption and income.
To tackle food insecurity, Urban Agriculture Extension Agents are trained to work on:
- Sustainable, environmentally sound, nutrition-sensitive agriculture for greater food security in some of Senegal’s poorest communities
- Developing partnerships with farmer associations, NGOs and other institutions at the local level to support and improve farming practices
- Developing locally sustainable sources of improved seed varieties
- Youth positive development through youth clubs and agriculturally-focused student groups
- Gender empowerment as a pathway to achieving sustainable development
- Building a partnership with pilot and master farmers. Peace Corps has found that the best agriculture extension agent is the smallholder farmer. Volunteers work with a cadre of pilot and master farmers who are prepared to commit to sharing their expertise with other growers through various means.
As an Urban Agriculture Extension Agent in Senegal, you will provide a valuable service to your community in their quest for increased food production by promoting the transfer of appropriate skills and technologies through one-on-one field based instruction of farmers or other groups such as youth clubs and group trainings through side by side demonstrations implemented with other farmers.
As an actor in the development of Senegal and as part of the wider Peace Corps effort to share our story with our counterparts and host governments as well as to bring that story home to the US, you will monitor and report on your work activities throughout your service through field visits, surveys and stories.
While serving, you will act as a facilitator, co-trainer, catalyst, liaison and resource person for your community. You don’t need to be a farmer or a food security expert to be successful; we will train you on the basic skills you will need and on gender dynamics in Senegal. In addition, we will provide you advice and feedback on the activities you will implement.
COVID-19 Volunteer Activities
In the past year, the world has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Volunteer, you will be trained in how to best protect yourself from COVID-19 exposure and understand the impact of and steps to reduce stigma related to COVID-19. You may also have the opportunity to engage with your community on implementing or enhancing COVID-19 mitigation activities, such as COVID-19 prevention and risk reduction strategies including social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, addressing myths and misconceptions related to these practices, and vaccine hesitancy. Activities will be tailored to address the COVID-19 circumstances in the communities where you will serve.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in agriculture and one or more of the following criteria:
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR - 5 years’ professional work experience
Desired Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following qualifications and qualities:
- A desire to work outdoors
- Experience with or interest in growing food or food security
- An interest in working with youth as well as in increasing the empowerment of women and girls in agricultural communities
- Strong interpersonal skills
Applicants with a French language background, particularly those with strong speaking skills, are encouraged to apply.
Required Language Skills
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.
The dominant languages in Senegal are Wolof and Pulaar, but there are many other smaller language groups as well. You will receive intensive training in the most common language of the village where you will be based and you will attain a proficiency level in that language by the time you complete your Pre-Service Training. Most of your work will be carried out in a local language.
Peace Corps Senegal does not train in French, preferring to focus on the primary language that the Volunteer will speak. French language skills are, however, very useful in Senegal, particularly when traveling or when working with people from other parts of the country. You are encouraged to learn as much French as possible prior to arrival in country.
Serving in Senegal
Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Senegal: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, health, and safety -including health and crime statistics -in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.
Medical Considerations
Before you apply, please review Medical Information for Applicants to learn about the medical clearance process.
Closing date : 1 January 2022.