Youth Coach at Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative

Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative - Founded in 2011, YEDI is a not-for-profit organisation that has benefitted over 220,000 young people in schools and community sites in Lagos, Abuja, Akwa-Ibom, and Ogun, with evidence-based programs designed to build young people’s assets, facilitate their access to health services, and promote their adherence to healthy behaviours.

The YEDI model trains young adult mentors as community change agents (SKILLZ Coaches) to implement age-appropriate and gender-sensitive curricula that combine football metaphors and activities with high impact health information that engage youth and break down cultural barriers. YEDI runs these programmes through fixed and outreach sites, which operate as safe spaces for young people 10-24 years old to access engaging sport-based activities as well as health and social services across the adolescent continuum of care.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Youth Coach

Locations: (Obalende - Eti Osa LGA and Iyana Oworo - Kosofe LGA) - Lagos
Employment Type: Volunteer

Project Description

• The Youth-powered Ecosystem to Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH) award is a five year (May 2020 – May 2025) funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). It is being implemented by DAI in partnership with Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI), Women Friendly Initiative (WFI), Yellow Brick Road (YBR), and Grassroot Soccer (GRS).
• The program empowers young Nigerians to think about their futures differently and access the skills, social capital, and resources needed to realize their aspirations.
• The program works to improve the health and well-being of urban, low-income adolescents, ages 15 to 19, by increasing voluntary family planning uptake, situating family planning within a broader, more holistic context that encompasses:
  • Enhancing youth life skills for healthy living and future planning;
  • Fostering an enabling social and policy environment for adolescent health and development; and
  • Increasing youth workforce readiness, job opportunities, and entrepreneurship to address socioeconomic determinants of adolescent health.
• The youth-powered ecosystem centers on Youth Hubs safe spaces for youth to seek and access FP and reproductive health (RH) information and referrals. YPE4AH will adapt and scale up evidence-based, high-impact SKILLZ curricula, which combine sports and fun-based activities and group sessions led by Youth Coaches/mentors to spur healthy behavior change and shift attitudes for more equitable gender sensitive norms.
• YPE4AH recognizes the critical role that peers and near-peers play in decision making, values and attitude formation of adolescents, hence the need engage this group as Coaches on the project to share accurate information with adolescents in and around the Hubs as well as form a support system for positive and healthy choices in the community.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Mobilize out-of-school adolescents ages 15 – 19 to participate in Hub and community activities
• Enroll a cohort of adolescent’s ages 15 – 19 monthly to participate in Hub activities.
• Deliver and facilitate sessions using the YPE4AH SKILLZ curriculum.
• Conduct SKILLZ club meetings
• Promote retention of participants in the Hubs, to the best of his/her ability, graduate 90% of participant enrolled.
• Participate in SKILLZ training, refresher training for Youth Coaches and attend all monthly review meetings.
• Share lessons learned during engagement with adolescents during review meetings and with Hub Coordinator.
• Serve as an ambassador for YPE4AH and share relevant project photos, videos, and significant stories as requested.
• Candidates will engage adolescents in and around locations.
• Be a role model for adolescents in the community by demonstrating best practices for leadership, livelihoods, and accessing/adhering to family planning services.
• Under the supervision of the Hub Coordinator mobilize, and conduct community sensitization outreaches, encourage youth drop-in to the Hubs as well as promote wider reach of adolescents and adults in the community.
• Link and escort adolescents who need GBV, Mental Health and FP services to referral facilities
• Complete and submit routine activity forms and monthly reports using approved monitoring and evaluation tools.

Job Requirements

• Possess a minimum of Senior Secondary School Leaving Certificate.
• 0 - 2 years work experience.
• Be between ages 18 – 28 Years
• Ability to relate with adolescents
• Ability to communicate in local language and pidgin.
• Prior experience working in an adolescent health or youth leadership program will be an advantage.
• Provide reference of good standing in the community from community/traditional leader.
• Pass a police security clearance for child protection.
• Reside around Obalende or Iyana Oworo communities in Lagos State.
• Possess good communication and facilitation skills.
• Interested in working with young people on sensitive topics including family planning, sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence and substance use.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and Cover Letter (not more than one page) specifying their “motivation and suitability” for the role to: [email protected] using "Youth Coach - Location e.g Youth Coach - Eti Osa LGA" as the subject of the email.

Note: Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted

Application Deadline  22nd May, 2021.