Brief Description:

12 Months | Start Date between Aug - Oct 2018
Open to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada only

The Volunteer’s Role

We are looking for a volunteer to work with our local partner, the Arariwa Association, to improve the livelihoods of small indigenous dairy and guinea pig farmers living in acute poverty in Peru’s Andes. Key elements of this work include capacity-building of farmers as individuals or collectively as groups, and the promotion of indigenous women’s empowerment and economic leadership. During your volunteer placement, you will live in a small Andean town or in the city of Cusco –known as the Lost city of the Incas—, and work in different rural Indigenous communities in collaboration with local Arariwa staff.

Dairy is one of the most important value chains in the Acomayo and Canas provinces, and the growing market demand for milk products (e.g. cheese) provides an opportunity for sustainable income-generation. Guinea pigs, which are high in protein and low in fat, show great potential to improve the nutrition and livelihoods of smallholder farmers by providing food and income, but also in the wider community with more affordable meat for sale at local markets.

In addition, you will support smallholder farmers to increase their income and power in the dairy and guinea pig value chains, thereby contributing to overall poverty reduction.

As a volunteer, you will:

- Conduct a value chain mapping exercise for the dairy and guinea pig value chains

- In collaboration with Arariwa and other relevant stakeholders, develop an action plan for each of the value chains

- Provide organizational development assistance and training to dairy and guinea pigs producers´ associations.

- Help Arariwa implement innovative and sustainable business models, and promote women’s economic leadership.

Essential Academic Qualifications:

Degree in Economics, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Agribusiness, International Development, Rural Development, Community Development or a related fields or equivalent experience.

Essential Professional Background:

- Experience in the agriculture sector and/or in rural business development

- Experience in organizational development

- Experience in capacity-building with participatory approaches

Support Package

- Modest monthly living allowance (varies depending country)

- Accommodation while in placement

- Return airfare and visa/work permit costs

- Cost of required vaccinations, antimalarial medication and health insurance

- Pre-departure training and in-country orientation

- Travel and accommodation for reintegration debriefing weekend

- Modest support for accompanying partners and dependents going on placement with you for 12 months or longer (Return flight, emergency medical insurance, vaccinations)

- Access to Employee Assistance Program while in placement and upon return

- Cuso International assessment day (Candidates must cover the first $200 of the most cost-effective travel expenses and all accommodation costs).

- Travel and accommodation for the five-day pre-departure training course and for in-country orientation

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