Finn Church Aid (FCA) is Finland’s largest development co-operation organisation and the second biggest organisation in Finland working in humanitarian aid. FCA is a founding member of the international aid alliance of churches, ACT Alliance. FCA seeks positive change by supporting the most vulnerable people in fragile contexts. We specialize in supporting local communities’ right to peace, livelihoods and quality education.

In Kenya, FCA has been working since 2014 in all three thematic areas, supporting local communities and governments to resolve and prevent conflicts in five counties of northern Kenya; providing access to primary education in Turkana, Garissa, Marsabit, West Pokot and Samburu, Kenya’s poorest counties; and improving access to quality education for children, youth and their families with holistic support mechanisms.

Finn Church Aid Kenya is looking for a

School Based Cousellor – 1 Position based in Dadaab

Primary purpose of the position

A School Based Counsellor works with the teaching staff, learners and learners’ parents to create a healthy and productive environment for the learners. He/She listens to problems regarding schoolwork or stress that may arise during an academic year and offer guidance in overcoming them. They also work with other teachers and staff members to create lifeskills training and programmes that can help learners excel. School counselors provide learners with guidance and support in dealing with an array of issues such as personal, academic, parental or social pressures that my hinder their retension, transition and performance.

MAIN TASKS

• Helping learners develop academic plans that match their skills and strengths.
• Collaborating with other staff members to address learners challenges in school.
• Facilitating crisis intervention and prevention programmes.
• Communicating with teachers, parents and administrators about a learners’s progress regularly.
• Building non-judgemental relationships based on trust and respect
• Analysing learners performance in the classroom
• Helping school administrators plan and carry out school-related programmes and events
• Helping learners talk about their feelings and think about their choices
• Listening to learners’ concerns regarding social, academic, or personal circumstances.
• Providing learners with support and guidance on how to deal with problems.
• Mediating and improving relationships between learners, parents, and teachers.
• Counseling individual learners and groups as required.
• Conducting assessments to determine learner’ strengths, weaknesses, interests, and aptitudes.
• Working with learners to develop and improve their skill set.
• Assisting learners in the development of career goals.
• Assisting secondary school learners with scholarship, college, and job applications.
• Implementing programs to combat substance abuse.
• Referring learners to other support services and mental health professionals as needed.

SPECIAL TASKS

Assist in ensuring quality delivery couselling programmes and maintenance of high professional standards of all our FCA education programmes.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Guidance and Couselling.
• Minimum of three (3) years’ work experience in education sector especially in a refugee setting.
• Knowledge of education in emergencies, education sector policy, child rights and protection issues.
• Experiences of facilitating community-based training, capacity building school managements, and awareness campaigns.
• Strong self-starter, able to take initiative and adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Positive attitude towards community work with emphasis on the ability to learn from communities and support participatory, innovative approaches to problem solving.
• Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathise with all children and their carers.
• Fluent in written and spoken English, Kiswahili and the local language in the camps and the host community.
• Good report writing skills
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions.
• Commitment to Finn Church Aid Child Protection Policy.

Desirable qualifications

• Previous experience in working with INGOs delivering education and girl child education services.
• Demonstrated teamwork skills.
• High level of motivation and enthusiasm for education.
• Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of the dynamics of the refugees is essential.
• Experience of working with communities and other agencies that support education.
• Experience in delivering digital/virtual learning programmes.