The Harvest Fund (THF) is an innovative NGO with a business impact arm. It functions as a social enterprise.The Harvest Fund's vision is to be an enterprise that builds the agricultural economy while eradicating poverty and promoting environmental sustainability. Our mission is to improve the livelihoods of Zambian female farming cooperatives. Our work is rooted in the idea that with a supportive, holistic environment, rural subsistence farmers can adopt technical know-how, the latest techniques, and renewable energy technologies to help them eventually escape poverty.

The Harvest Fund has a replicable model that has scaled from one to nine women farming cooperatives across Southern and Lusaka Provinces. The Harvest Fund selects high-potential women’s cooperatives in the target areas through competitive selection criteria. The interventions with each cooperative go beyond training. On the cooperative’s land, The Harvest Fund’s service partners drill boreholes and install irrigation systems that run on solar-powered energy. Each cooperative receives fencing wire to avert crop damage by livestock. With a solar-powered irrigation system, Zambian women overcome the limitations of unreliable rainfall patterns and water scarcity. The year-round irrigated land allows each cooperative to cultivate high-value crops to reduce reliance on maize, thereby increasing their productivity and incomes. For the irrigated plot, The Harvest Fund provides the cooperatives with seeds/seedlings, agro-pesticides, and all inputs to grow those vegetables on their shared plot. The Harvest Fund will serve as the off-taker and convert the crops to packaged food (value addition through food processing) through its business arm.

The Gender and Nutrition Associate (GNA) position is part of THF’s initiative to enhance technical expertise and improve program quality across the organisation while integrating gender and nutrition issues. This role aims to position THF as a leader in innovative development practices. Promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture and mainstreaming gender will require the incorporation of gender and nutrition objectives and indicators into all phases of project and program cycle management.

In this position, the GNA will facilitate learning by training and coaching smallholder farmers, THF’s staff, and relevant stakeholders on best practices drawn from within the organisation and experiences from other development actors.

The GNA will act as an on-the-ground trainer and supporter for cooperatives and farmers, collaborating with line government ministries and other stakeholders. They will report to the Program Coordinator and will have additional reporting responsibilities to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The GNA will take on the responsibility of ensuring successful gender and nutrition integration in the cultivation of maize and vegetables, striving to meet established targets and deliverables.

Additionally, the GNA will work with each cooperative to help minimize internal conflicts and achieve their harvest goals. They will assist each cooperative member in adopting a problem-solving mindset to address challenges, such as the breakdown of solar-powered water pumps or crop damage by livestock. Building trustworthy relationships with each farmer and cooperative and acting in their best interests is essential.

Ultimately, the goal is to enhance each farmer’s maize and vegetable production, encourage technology adoption, increase participation within their cooperative, and improve access to stable markets, creating mutually beneficial outcomes.

Technical Resource:

This position will be the resource person for Gender and Nutrition Analysis/Assessment on all THF programs and projects. The role will involve working with the entire team throughout project cycle management – from supporting the development of concept notes ensuring a strong nutrition and gender element, proposal development, programme delivery, supporting M&E and evaluation of projects/programmes:

• Train and coach and support programme/partner staff to effectively integrate nutrition sensitive agriculture/enterprise and mainstream gender into programmes and projects, including setting objectives and measuring results.
• Regularly monitor and periodically evaluate project and program activities and support.
• Support the organisation in policy formulation and adaptation.
  

Administrative and Intra-Organisational Support:

The GNA will strengthen the visibility of the organisation within the gender nutrition space:

• Communicate with Project Coordinator and CEO regularly and, preferably at a minimum of a weekly basis.
• Participate in regularly scheduled team meetings when called upon.
• Follow necessary organisation protocols for expense tracking, invoicing, etc.

Cooperative Capacity Building:

The GNA will liaise with the cooperatives and Project Coordinator to strengthen the position of each cooperative:

• Facilitate, as needed, any activities required to build the capacity of each cooperative, e.g. mediate during searches for shared plots of land.
• Encourage soft-skills development such as teamwork, program commitment, problem-solving, professionalism, and timeliness.
• Report any cooperative issues to the Project Coordinator.

Essential

• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Gender Studies, Public Health or any equivalent related discipline.
• At least two years’ experience in the design and implementation of nutrition projects/programmes.
• Conversational in a local language widely-spoken in Lusaka and Southern Provinces, such as Nyanja and Tonga; additional conversational abilities in Bemba and other languages would be a plus.
• Extensive knowledge and experience of sector thinking on gender and nutrition with a wide range of partners from civil society, public and private sectors.
• A good understanding of project management, project reporting, M&E tools and principles.
• Experience in the facilitation of learning processes and networking.
• Experience in data analysis, research and report writing.
  

Desirable

• Experience in gender and social inclusion in a previous work environment.
• Demonstrated experience in integrating/mainstreaming gender in development and humanitarian projects focused on food, nutrition, livelihoods, and enterprise sectors.
• Ability to communicate effectively in more than one national language.
• Experience in business development, proposal development, or grant writing.

• Assertive and innovative
• Entrepreneurial and enterprising
• Self-motivated and driven
• Quick thinker and multi-talented

This Job Description only serves as a guide and The Harvest Fund reserves the right to make changes as the need arises. Given the large number of applications, only those who meet minimum qualifications and are successfully shortlisted will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates will be required to participate in a unique, rigorous interview process to determine their potential for success and growth at The Harvest Fund. The Harvest Fund is an equal opportunity employer.