Sustaining Defenders: Programme Intern At Urgent Action Fund-Africa

Organisational profile

Urgent Action Fund-Africa (UAF-Africa) is a feminist, pan-African Rapid Response Fund committed to transforming power relations through resourcing African feminists and womn human rights defenders and their formations as an act of solidarity. Recognizing the need to move resources rapidly on a continent where opportunities and threats arise and decline quickly, UAF-Africa uses a Rapid Response Grantmaking mechanism to support unanticipated, time-sensitive, innovative, and unique initiatives that promote womn’s agency in peace and political participation, social and economic power building as well as natural resources governance and stewardship. The Fund works to support African Womn Human Rights Defenders (AWHRDs), particularly in the feminist and womn’s rights movements, in their actions, which enable them to support and sustain themselves, each other, and their work before, during, and after urgent situations.

UAF-Africa mobilises resources from a broad base of international and increasingly local funders committed to protecting and advancing womn’s rights and feminist agendas in Africa. Our primary purpose is to provide funding to AWHRDs and their groups, organisations and the movements to help them prepare for and navigate urgent situations with appropriate actions.

UAF-Africa is registered in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Operating as a virtual organisation, the Fund boasts of strategic physical presence in East Africa: Nairobi, Kenya, Kampala, Uganda; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, North Africa: Cairo, Egypt; Southern Africa: Harare, Zimbabwe, Lilongwe & Blantyre, Malawi, Johannesburg, Pretoria & Cape Town, South Africa, Antananarivo, Madagascar and West Africa: Abuja, Nigeria, Parakou & Cotonou, Benin, Douala & Yaounde, Cameroon, Lome, Togo.

Position Overview

The position carries a general supportive role to the Sustaining Defenders Portfolio with specific obligations towards data entry and management of the portfolio’s data systems, whilst acting as the initial interface with grantee partners in providing prompt and suitable communication correspondences to applicants, partners, allies and friends of the Fund.

Specific Responsibilities.

• Acknowledging, populating and assigning grant requests.
• Responding to grant inquiries made to the Fund in consultation with the supervisor and the SD Portfolio team.
• Sending out decision details of reviewed grants for example, grant declines.
• Organizing and participating in due diligence and capacity-strengthening meetings with grantee partners.
• Providing logistics support in organizing events including convenings and webinars.
• Providing support in organizing outreach and networking missions.
• Data entry of all inquiries and requests in the grant-making database.
• Support the Sustaining Defenders: Programme Manager in organizing portfolio meetings.
• Support in conducting research and documentation of key contextual issues
• Support in developing periodical reports including responding to queries arising from grant matrices and other spaces related to the Portfolio
• Providing analyzed thematic data, and trends analysis for the Sustaining Defenders Portfolio
• Carrying out research for outreach missions and other events.
• Where applicable, provide language translation of grant requests and communication material within all UAF-Africa Programmes
• Performing any other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor

Qualifications

• Degree in Social Sciences, Women’s Studies, Political Sciences, International Development, Law or related fields.

Skills and Experience

• At least 2 years experience in project management providing administrative, analytical, and technical support.
• Demonstrate high levels of integrity and confidentiality.
• Excellent organisational skills (including organising processes) and ability to multitask.
• Excellent written and verbal communications in English. French is a plus.
• Good time management skills and ability to produce quality work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to organise oneself and complete assignments on time.
• Understanding of the Feminist and women’s human rights sector required.
• Teamwork and ability to work in a diverse team.
• An understanding of gender equality and womn’s rights issues, particularly in Africa.
• Demonstrated understanding of a feminist political analysis and familiar with feminist movement building.
• Passionate about UAF-Africa’s mission, committed to teamwork, and achieving results
• Ability to perform detailed work, frequently and/or to handle a large volume of work systematically, optimally, and accurately.
• Able to identify project needs, develop a detailed timeline for completion, oversee schedules, and milestone management.
• Ability to organise, categorise, and synthesize information from a range of datasets existent within and outside the Fund.
• Ability to contribute on a team and coordinate assignments to achieve common goals.
• Excellent interpersonal, public speaking, writing, and negotiation skills.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel on the African continent and beyond as and when required.
• Experience working in a virtual work environment is an added advantage.

Work Environment

This is a regional position that involves some national, regional and international travel. UAF-Africa is an equal-opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices. To build the strongest possible workforce, UAF-Africa actively seeks a diverse applicant pool. The Fund is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.