MIYCN Counsellor

Position Title: MIYCN Counsellor

2025-02-02 Oruzgan Full Time 10

Job Location:	Oruzgan
Nationality:	Afghan
Category:	Program
Employment Type:	Full Time
Salary:	As per the salary scale
Vacancy Number:	009-2024
No. Of Jobs:	1
City:	Dehrawood

Organization:	INTERSOS
Years of Experience:	1 – 2 years’ experience in a similar role
Contract Duration:	04 months
Gender:	Female
Education:	Completed higher secondary level education
Close date:	2025-02-02

About INTERSOS:

INTERSOS is an International non-profit humanitarian aid organization that works to bring assistance to people in danger, victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Established in 1992, its actions are based on the values of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equal rights and opportunities for all people and respect for diversity and coexistence, paying particular attention to the most vulnerable and the unprotected. INTERSOS is an independent association which, through its own humanitarian operators, intervenes to effectively answer the needs of people in serious crises situations, mainly in the world's poorest regions, who are suffering, deprived of rights, dignity and essentials goods. It maintains a flexible operating structure.

Job Descriptions:

The Nutrition Counsellor will provide messages on appropriate feeding practices to pregnant and lactating mothers, caregiver of malnourished children and community people in Zabul province – Afghanistan.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Helps to identify needs for breastfeeding counselling and provide adequate counselling
Facilitates sessions on nutrition, health and hygiene good practices to pregnant and lactating women and caregiver of malnourished children attending the Out-patient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) sites
To provide one on one breastfeeding counselling for mothers experiencing difficulties in breastfeeding, including demonstration and breastfeeding techniques and supporting re-lactation
Facilitate the scheduling of outreach worker/volunteer for follow-up of caregiver of children with breastfeeding difficulties at home.
Identify mothers to become peer educators in their home villages, and to support them to undertake sensitization and referral to the Mother Baby Area
To refer children for intensive nutritional/medical care as required
To train outreach worker and volunteers on best practices for infant and young child feeding
Prepare daily/weekly reports on activities and any necessary reports as requested by the MAM

Attend training and team meeting as requested.
Register and undertake growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) including measure weight, height, age and check oedema of all children under two years of age.
Conduct GMP based counseling of mothers/caregivers of all children under two years of age on appropriate Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) practices and infection prevention.
If the child is normal, encourage and counsel mother to reinforce and promote age appropriate MIYCN practices
If child is suffering from SAM, refer to the doctor of the clinic for giving adequate treatment and counselling.
Counsel mothers/ caregiver to bring under two children for the continues monthly GMP visit
Undertake Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) of children 6-59 Month of age
Check whether child has received Vitamin A supplementation during the previous NID, if no then refer to the administrator of Vitamin A in clinic
Conduct complementary feeding demonstration once per month.
Pass and explain of the IYCF message to mother,
explain the benefits of the breast milk in the first 1000 days,
explain the benefits and importance of iodized salt,
explain the benefits and importance of Vitamin-D,
explain the benefits and importance of fruit and vegetable,

Counselling on Maternal Nutrition

Measure lactating mothers MUAC, weight, height and find BMI and categories as normal, underweight, overweight and obese after the first PNC till the mother breastfeed her child
Provide individualized nutrition counselling on appropriate practices, based on the BMI findings.
Check whether lactating mother receive adequate IFA tablets during three months after delivery.

At the Community level:

Work and coordinate with Hygiene promoters (HPs) and Community social mobilizer (CSMs) during the CSMs monthly meetings (as much as possible) to:
To Share the GMP defaulter cases list with CSMs and follow up.
To ensure that the GPM session conducted in community by CSMs regularly.
Mentoring CSMs on topics such as GMP, counseling skills, proper home visit

Recording and Reporting:

Maintain regular reports to monitor and track delivery of nutrition services.
Using MCH handbook reporting in provinces the MCH handbook apply.
Identify beneficiaries which require follow-up visits and share information with HPs/CSMs within the catchment area of the MHT/SDPs.

Job Requirements:

Completed higher secondary level education
1 – 2 years’ experience in a similar role
A good understanding of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices within the target community
Ability to work within a tight timeframe
Motivated and prepared to work in the field areas in challenging conditions
Passionate about improving the lives of children
Women candidate are preferable for this job profile
Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to
Experience in individual /group counselling
Pashto skills are required; English is preferable
Work experience in Health as emergency response projects is preferable.
Previous experience working for an international NGO is preferable.
Commitment to INTERSOS principles.
Comply with all relevant INTERSOS policies and procedures.
Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to effectively present information and respond appropriately to questions from supervisor in the field.