About this role
Rwanda has made enormous progress over the last thirty years in its economic, political and social development. Great strides have been made in maternal and child health recently, in part due to a strong commitment on the part of the Government of Rwanda in strengthening health systems and quality services; and introducing 60,000 Community Health Workers (CHWs) into the health sector. Despite significant gains, data from the Rwanda Demographic Health Survey in 2019-2020 shows that 33% of children under five are stunted due to malnourishment. This has resulted in increased mortality, morbidity, decreased educational achievement, and lost productivity. The Government of Rwanda has requested the support of the Peace Corps in developing the capacity of local health centers and community-based health workers to plan, deliver, monitor, and evaluate services in the areas of maternal and child health. Specifically, there is a focus on hygiene, nutrition, and prevention of childhood diseases including malaria, and acute respiratory infections (ARIs). The primary goal of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) project is to increase the number of mothers/caregivers adopting practices that improve maternal and child health across the first 1,000 days of life. To accomplish this, Volunteers are assigned to community health centers (CHCs). Through the CHC, Volunteers partner with their Rwandan counterparts (community health officer, nutritionist, and/or social worker), "titulaire" (supervisor), and CHWs on a broad range of public health initiatives including those aimed at improving maternal and child health outcomes. Volunteers work with expectant mothers, mothers and their children, as well as their families on a variety of interventions to ensure a healthy start to life for Rwandan children. To conduct this work, Volunteers coordinate with their local colleagues on programs and educational initiatives to: • Improve maternal and child health and nutrition • Support families to adopt improved hygiene and safe water practices at the household level • Encourage families to prevent and appropriately respond to childhood illnesses, such as diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, and malaria • Engage/work with fathers and other relatives to support mothers and children in improving their health and wellbeing The specific goals for your community will be determined by your supervisor, your counterpart(s), your community leaders and Peace Corps staff before your arrival in Rwanda, and you will work on the progress towards those goals throughout your service. Along with their primary work assignment, Volunteers may be involved with school clubs, youth programs and extracurricular activities. MNCH Volunteers integrate secondary activities depending on the needs of the community; these can include women and girls’ empowerment, malaria mitigation and food security. During Pre-Service Training (PST), MNCH Volunteers will spend 11 weeks living with a local family and participate in training on technical, cross-cultural, language, medical, and safety and security aspects within the rural Rwandan context. As a Trainee, Peace Corps staff will support you throughout PST and assess your progress to determine if you have successfully achieved the necessary competencies before swearing-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer.