International Youth Internship

The following (two) positions are available:

Ecological Farming Systems Development Intern – The Gambia
Posted: April 2007
Closing Date: April 30, 2007
Term: May 2007 – February 2008
Start Date: May 2007 - This date is flexible so please indicate your earliest possible start date on your cover letter.

To apply please send your resumé and cover letter to:
Claudia Ho Lem
International Project Manager
Tél./Phone: (514) 398-7743; Fax: (514) 398-7972
E: cholem@reap-canada.com; W: www.reap-canada.com

Internship Description:
GAIA Project Youth Internships are made available through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) YES (Youth Employment Strategy) internship program. The goal of the program is to give young Canadians international work experience and develop their skills in the fields of sustainable agriculture and international development.

Successful applicants will start and finish their work experience with REAP-Canada, an Environmental NGO (ENGO) based in Ste. Anne be Bellevue Quebec. The internship will include a 9 week term in Canada, and a 6 month placement in the Gambia where they will be based with the local southern partner the Njawara Agricultural Training Centre (NATC) located in the North Bank Division. Additionally, there will be a pre-departure orientation workshop and a debriefing workshop, both held in Canada, and a final two weeks of training where interns will learn job search skills and how to follow up on entrepreneurial opportunities.

These positions require determined, self-starting, committed individuals willing to work under extreme conditions. Successful applicants will be given a moderate financial stipend and a unique opportunity to gain experience in a demanding international environment.

Prerequisites: To qualify you must:
Be between the ages of 19 and 30
Be a university or college graduate
Have never previously participated in a YES (Youth Employment Strategy) internship or worked in a career-related paid position overseas
Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident eligible to work in Canada
Be currently unemployed or under-employed

Qualifications:
Education or equivalent experience in environmental / sustainability issues
Knowledge / experience in ecological agriculture, resource management, community development or climate change
Self-motivated, creative and able to work with limited guidance and supervision
Excellent organizational skills with an ability to integrate information
Proficient on the computer and skills in report /proposal writing
Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team environment under stressful conditions and achieve results
Long-term commitment to international development
Leadership and decision making skills with the capacity to motivate others
Ability to communicate effectively
Ability to work under rustic conditions (intense heat, basic diet and accommodations, etc.)
Strong constitution and good health
Open to cross-cultural exchange of information and ideas. Experience working with other cultures an asset, as is an enthusiasm for learning foreign languages

Job Description:
In Canada, successful applicants will start and finish their work experience in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec with REAP-Canada. The internship will include an 8 week term in Canada, where interns will support REAP's ongoing national and international farming systems research and development program. Interns will learn about participatory on-farm development, sustainable agriculture, bio-energy and climate change mitigation strategies through research, fieldwork and program outreach and development. There will also be a one week orientation / pre-departure workshop to prepare interns for their overseas activities and a debriefing workshop in Canada to complete their experience.

In the Gambia, the intern will further this knowledge where they will be based with our local southern partner the Njawara Agricultural Training Centre (NATC). The overseas term will begin with one month of intensive language training and cultural immersion. The intern will then work with local farming communities on ecological farming systems development to improve farm production and profitability while promoting sustainable natural resource management. The intern will work to expand local farmer-to-farmer training networks, and develop farm planning and "learning farms" for diversified ecological farming and food production systems. They will also be involved in the establishment and development of trials and demonstrations for food self-sufficiency and gardening, plant improvement programs and nursery management, erosion control, soil fertility and management, Bokashi organic fertilizer production, live fencing, agro-forestry and orchard and woodlot management and small animal husbandry. The intern will also work on the development of sustainable cooking technologies in the country, including the Mayon Turbo Stove and the Rocket stove, as greenhouse gas mitigation strategies that also alleviate poverty and promote women's health. Much of the interns work will focus on developing projects in a holistic, participatory manner through the Agro-Ecological Village Development Model, which simultaneously addresses social development, gender equity, poverty mitigation, agriculture and the environment.