Support Education, Youth Development and Community Capacity Building in Cameroon

Organizational Context

Goodness and Mercy Missions (GMM) is a non-profit organization in Cameroon's North West Region, founded in 2007. GMM strengthens rural communities by providing essential tools, skills, and opportunities to underserved populations, focusing on education, economic empowerment, and community development. With ECOSOC consultative status since 2017, GMM operates in various regions, addressing challenges like poverty and limited access to education, particularly for women and children. Their core values include sustainability, equity, and partnership.

Job Purpose

This assignment aims to support education, youth development, and community capacity building in Cameroon's North West Region, an area significantly impacted by the Anglophone crisis. The role involves reviewing international research and best practices to inform GMM's programming. Volunteers will assess strategies for access, retention, and return to learning; youth skills development and transition to work; learning support and psychosocial wellbeing; and community participation and organizational capacity. The ultimate goal is to strengthen community structures and design effective, culturally appropriate education and youth programs that contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 4, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

Responsibilities

Volunteers will conduct in-depth literature reviews and research on specific areas related to education and youth development in crisis-affected contexts. Responsibilities include: - Access, Retention, and Return to Learning: Reviewing barriers to enrolment, drop-out determinants, catch-up learning models, and retention strategies in disrupted settings. - Youth Skills and Transition to Work: Examining vocational training, employability support, and alignment with local economic opportunities for youth. - Learning Support and Psychosocial Wellbeing: Investigating teacher capacity, classroom practices, remedial support, and school-based psychosocial interventions. - Community Participation and Organizational Capacity: Assessing parent and community involvement, community-managed education, and the sustainability of local groups. Each volunteer will produce a 3,000-5,000 word written deliverable (literature review or research paper) with academic referencing, working remotely and communicating regularly with GMM.

Work Experience

Required experience includes academic or professional background relevant to the assigned research area, such as coursework, research projects, dissertations, internships, or applied analysis. Demonstrated ability to conduct structured desk research using academic databases and international organization publications is essential. Proficiency in virtual collaboration tools and reliable internet access are necessary.

Skills

Strong written communication skills in English are essential for remote collaboration and producing a substantial written deliverable. Correct and consistent use of an academic referencing system and the ability to assess source credibility are required. Fluency in English is necessary, with knowledge of French or Pidgin English being an asset. Cultural sensitivity and the ability to interpret evidence for diverse local contexts, including rural, low-resource, and crisis-affected communities, are also important.

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