WeForest

WeForest is a fast-growing international non-profit association headquartered in Belgium and with current projects in Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Tanzania, Malawi, Senegal and Zambia. The mission of the organisation is to advance innovative, scalable and lasting solutions to restore forest and landscapes for climate, people and planet. We promote scientific evidence for the ways in which forests contribute to climate change mitigation, beyond their impacts as stocks of carbon, by increasing water availability, enhancing local biodiversity conservation and rural livelihood and resilience.

Job Summary

The Agricultural Extensionist will work in a dynamic team on our objective towards increasing forest cover on small farm holdings through Agroforestry & Sustainable Agriculture, and Sustainable Forest Management of miombo woodlands on farms as a scalable solution for climate mitigation and adaptation, livelihood improvement and gender equitable development. The Agricultural Extensionist will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and will have their office base in Mpongwe District with a project catchment area of Mpongwe, Luanshya and Ndola Districts.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Deliver agricultural extension services to the local community in the Mpongwe district

2. Conduct socio-economic surveys of the local community in Mpongwe

3. Build the capacity of targeted  local communities in agribusiness including farm management and farm record keeping

4. Support the development of alternative livelihoods  such as beehive schemes, livestock production, fruit production, vegetable production and crop production

5. Assist in participatory processes to develop village-based land use maps and plans

6. Train the local community in Climate Smart Agricultural Practices such as Conservation Agriculture andAgroforestry  and ensure their adoption by farmers

7. Train farmers  in the establishment of pine woodlots

8. Co ordinate the setting up of agroforestry satellite nurseries in Mpongwe, Luanshya and Ndola

9. Support the selection  and  training of Lead Farmers in Conservation Agriculture and Forage Production

10. Co ordinate the establishment and running of demo plots for Conservation Agriculture and Forage Production

11. Co –ordinate the implementation of all livelihood programmes in the local community in Mpongwe.

12. Train and co ordinate the activities of community facilitators in agricultural data collection for baseline surveys and monitoring

13. Mapping of farms under climate smart agriculture and agroforestry

14. Capacity building of farmer associations and co operatives in the project area

15. Prepare field activity progress reports as requested by the Project Manager

16. Communicate directly with the Project Manager amongst others regarding project activities.

Candidate Profile

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Minimum a Diploma in Agriculture or Agroforestry
• Language: Fluent in English (both speaking and writing) and Bemba/Lamba
• Work experience: 2 years’ relevant work experience in the agricultural sector
• Excellent coordination, training and communication skills
• Extensive knowledge of small-scale agribusiness, micro-crediting, agroforestry and horticulture
• Knowledge of nursery management, soil science, animal husbandry  and crop science
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills – comfortable working in the field with local communities
• Experience in using QGIS and Kobo will be an added advantage

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:

• integrity
• Be willing to relocate and live in Mpongwe District.

Terms & Conditions

Position: Full-time employee, 5 or 6 days per week.

Base: Mpongwe, Zambia

Start date: As soon as possible, preferably by 12/06/2023

Package: Competitive package for a small organisation, level 2c salary package