Pioneer GFF Representative for Sri Lanka, Tharaka Munidasa, and Project Coordinator, Pavithra Gunasekara

The Glenn Family Foundation (GFF) has selected Sri Lanka as the next destination for our HELPS programme. This programme aims to empower and uplift vulnerable communities by providing them with sustainable access to their most basic needs. This includes but is not limited to access to clean water, access to solar power, improved sanitation to reduce incidence of disease and improved living conditions to foster a sense of pride.

We also recruit representatives to enrich these communities through education, skills sharing and technical expertise. Our representatives are enmeshed in these communities for a six month period to ensure they have a meaningful impact. We are entering Sri Lanka as a new location and looking for volunteers to develop our projects there.

We would like to have a new Associate Project Coordinator start their term in 2021 or the nearest suitable date. Note that due to the presence of COVID19 in Sri Lanka, we cannot guarantee that the project will start on this date. We will not start this project without assurance that the situation is resolved and the area is safe for travel. However, applications and preparations take a lot of time, so we are moving forward with these processes in the meantime while the situation resolves. You can follow the current Sri Lanka COVID updates here.

As a Project Coordinator, you will work in a small team with the Local (Ishan Jayatilaka) and International Advisors (Tharaka Munidasa), alongside an established and reputable organisation, for a minimum period of six months, developing projects in Kegalle, Sri Lanka. You will be supervised weekly by GFF over Zoom / Skype / MS Teams / Whatsapp and will have a Local Advisor as a contact person to assist you.

GFF covers all your accommodation, food, transport, communication, insurance (medical & life) and reasonable living expenses during your placement.

If you are passionate about making a sustainable impact and empowering marginalised communities to thrive then please apply and get in touch with us!

Salary: Negotiable depending on the candidate’s experience and skills.

Location: Kegalle (relocation options are negotiable)

Contract Length: Full-time 6 months  – 1 year (options to extend can be discussed)

Criteria for Applying:

• Sri Lankan Citizenship
• Completed Bachelors or Masters qualification (IT background is favourable but not essential)
• Minimum 1-year work experience
• Proficient English speaking, reading and writing skills (ability to teach and train students)
• Creative, Innovative and is able to work autonomously
• Comfortable to be based in Kegalle for project implementation

You can read more about:

• How we are working in Sri Lanka
• The HELPS programme generally
• The new IT Department we opened in Sri Lanka
• Our pioneer GFF Representative, Tharaka Munidasa
• Our local project coordinator, Pavithra Gunasekara

About SANASA Campus

We will be working alongside SANASA Campus, a non-profit co-operative sector university. The Campus serves the people through degree/diploma/certificate courses. Following the participatory and community development principles and practices of the SANASA Movement, the Campus is being developed as a community-based university.

About the role

The partnership between the Glenn Family Foundation and SANASA Campus outlines three major projects to be implemented in 2019. Your role is to implement these according to the plans and ensure good crossover to the next GFF Representatives to ensure their continuation. Your role is also to establish good relationships with the local community and with other stakeholders on behalf of GFF. Most importantly, have the passion to make sustainable change for marginalised communities.

Parallel to running these projects, the coordinator with conduct classes with SANASA students (eg, English, IT, and soft skills). It is imperative to ensure the work we do is regenerative so building the student’s skills is just as important as the community stakeholders.

Project 1: English for Villages

• Read about the success of our 2019 programme
• Engage the rural community with the GFF Sri Lanka Representative
• Plan activities with the rural youth and plan basic English classes covering reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar and vocabulary
• Develop a train the trainer model (TOT) to teach the SANASA students how to carry out the class with the rural children
• Assist with the class and interact with the rural children
• Supervise and provide feedback to the SANASA students based on how the lesson is conducted
• Provide suggestions to improve the project (eg: introducing digital technology, sourcing teaching supplies, etc

Project 2: GFF Workshops

Research, plan, implement and evaluate GFF workshops for students, rural children and community members. Some examples of workshops are:

• Environmental awareness and recycling: Teaching youth about the impact of waste and how to consume responsibly. Assisting in the set-up of recycling points, running competitions for waste reduction and introducing Eco Brick
• Reading workshops and mobile libraries: Hosting reading workshops with village children and developing a system for acquiring donated books and circulating them through schools
• Digital learning project: Introducing inexpensive tablets to youth to supplement their learning. A trial in the Philippines is underway and teachers are using interactive maths apps to help children who are falling behind
• Health workshops: Inviting a local nurse or medical student to talk to villages about common health ailments and how to avoid/treat them, and informing them about how to access free services
• First Aid training: Training teachers and mothers in First Aid (Read about our 2019 workshop)
• Debating club: engaging youth in modern global issues through debating clubs
• Education Workshops: Teaching youth about the importance of continuing your education. Show them all the options they can take (eg: university, technical college)

Project 3: IT Development Project

• Work with the IT technician/teacher to conduct classes with students
• Collaborate with the IT technician/teacher on course material and teachings
• Follow the learning outcomes and develop lesson content
• Empower the importance of digital literacy to rural youth

Project management

• Liaise with the GFF Sri Lanka Representative, Advisors and SANASA Campus staff to develop project plans
• Manage relationship with SANASA Campus key contacts and be transparent with deliverables
• Set up meetings with the GFF Sri Lanka Advisors to clearly understand the weekly tasks and outcomes of each project
• Spend at least 1 hour per week meeting with the GFF Sri Lanka Advisors, and report on these sessions to GFF
• Report financial expenditure and programme progress to GFF weekly
• Monthly reporting to the GFF Board members
• Send all project plans to GFF along with a budget for clearance

How to apply:

• Read the eligibility criteria at the bottom of this page: https://www.gffhelps.org/
• Read the Terms and Conditions located here: https://www.gffhelps.org/terms-and-conditions/
• Fill out the online form here: https://www.gffhelps.org/apply/ 
• Deadline for applications: 15th July 2021
• Please reach out to Ishan Jayatilaka and Tharaka Munidasa for any questions