Founded in 2000, Free the Slaves is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending modern slavery worldwide (www.freetheslaves.net). FTS’ approach is rooted in a strong belief in the power of grassroots social change. We provide intensive support to organizations as they test out and scale up community-based strategies that at the same time engage government in their anti-slavery responsibilities. These strategies help people to sustainable freedom. Currently, we work with local NGOs and coalitions in Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Haiti, India and Nepal.
In Ghana, we are working closely with three local NGO partners through community organizing approaches to create resistance to child trafficking, debt bondage slavery and sexual slavery in fishing and in small scale mining. We also provide intensive support for a new national anti-slavery coalition to improve its members’ strategies and to advocate with the government to strengthen national action against slavery. We seek to raise public awareness in Ghana to challenge the “normality” and invisibility of these human rights abuses, including through close collaboration with national media as well as FTS’ Communications team. Working as FTS’ sole representative in country, the Ghana Director ensures effective action in all these areas of work.
Location: This position is based in Ghana, preferably Accra.
Reporting to: Ghana Program Manager, Washington DC
Responsibilities:
1. Provide assistance to local partner organizations on strategic program design, implementation, reporting and financial accounting.
· Gain an in-depth understanding of the forms of slavery that are a priority for FTS in Ghana, and about promising strategies.
· Maintain regular contact with partners and make regular field visits to partners’ program sites. Closely observe the activities and provide feedback. Help them reflect on and resolve both immediate and strategic challenges.
· Develop partners’ skills in identifying root causes of different forms of trafficking and slavery and develop local solutions, including through assisting informal mining groups to form cooperatives and to acquire their own mining leases so they can eradicate debt bondage, child labor and sex slavery.
· Assist partners with building self-sufficiency in making workplans, budgets, carrying out evaluation, writing grant requests and reports, and financial accounting.
· Ensure partners are following FTS requirements such as child protection and financial guidelines. This includes conducting checks of books of accounts, bills and vouchers.
· Provide feedback on reports provided by partners, helping them improve their reporting skills.
· Assist partners to conduct local trainings and workshops.
· Identify gaps in their capacity, and ensure they access expertise on livelihoods, legal services, counseling, transitional shelter, medical care, education and vocational training.
2. Support partners’ advocacy work, and directly perform advocacy roles
· Carry out analysis and create realistic recommendations regarding policy advocacy objectives.
· Work together with media, NGOs, international development agencies, and Ghana government to raise public awareness about the issue and advocate for improved policies.
· Work with the emerging national anti-slavery coalition to develop its activities and skills, especially through understanding effective methods for engaging with government bodies.
· Participate in relevant inter-agency meetings, representing FTS and contributing lessons learned from partners in Ghana and elsewhere.
· Provide information to FTS Programs, Communications and Development staff in the U.S. regarding government and NGO actions against slavery and trafficking in Ghana.
· Give feedback on international and Ghanaian action against slavery and child labor in cocoa.
3. Help develop FTS’ program in Ghana and its overall work
· Gather information about the scope and potential of anti-slavery work of other organizations.
· When new funding allows, identify potential new collaborations and partnerships for FTS.
· Organize logistics for FTS visitors, donors and individuals as requested by FTS.
· Ensure effective reporting to FTS Board and funders by providing data, narratives of people and communities emerging from slavery, and analysis from the field.
· Strengthen the role of FTS’ overseas program work through sharing in fundraising, research, advocacy and public education, as appropriate.
4. Identify opportunities to strengthen the work of international and national development agencies/NGOs by helping them incorporate a slavery focus in their programs.
· Identify a small number of key agencies and advocate for integration of anti-slavery components within existing programs, including training their staff.
Required Skills or Experience
- A minimum of five years’ work experience with community-based organizations.
- Relevant post-graduate qualification in development, human rights, conflict resolution, community work or commensurate experience.
- Proven interest in grassroots-led social change approaches.
- Knowledge of how slavery relates to development, poverty and human rights issues.
- Ability to work closely with local partners to research and develop effective income generation opportunities alongside rights-based community organizing, to eradicate slavery.
- Ability to develop and manage budgets in excel. Strong attention to financial details.
- Experience in collaborative advocacy processes, in relation to achieving government accountability and legislative/policy improvements.
- Knowledge of Ghana’s governmental system and the international human rights framework.
- Willingness to travel within Ghana approximately 20% of the time.
- Strong communications skills (written/spoken English) including with people from wide variety of life experiences. At least one local Ghanaian language is an advantage.
- Ability to work as sole representative in country and without administrative support.
- Ability to work effectively with local and national government ministries, bilateral agencies and international NGOs to develop collaborative efforts.
- Long-term experience living and working in Ghana or the West Africa region.
How To Apply
with ‘FTS Ghana Director Search: [Applicant Name]’ in the subject line. In your cover letter please briefly outline how your skills, experience and interests meet the requirements as described above, and include the annual full-time rate required.
Also please state how you fulfill the requirement of 5 years’ experience with community based organizations and what your relevant post-graduate qualification is (or commensurate experience). If you do not meet these requirements we will not be able to consider your application.
Deadline for applications: 5pm on Monday 3 October 2011. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Free the Slaves is an equal-opportunity employer. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to age, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
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