Sustainable Development Goals

The Project

Kadasig Aid and Development has requested a qualified nurse or paramedic to work with Filipinos in the communities in the Province of Barili and Cebu City to improve community health education programs and deliver first aid training. These programs will promote the prevention of illness, reduce the spread of disease through basic health and sanitation awareness and sexual health knowledge, and enable individuals to deliver first aid.

The Location

The Kadasig Centre is located in Cebu City and the Province of Barili south west of the island.

Cebu City is the capital of the Cebu province, consisting of one main island and over 150 smaller islands. The city is home to several historic buildings dating the Spanish colonial period including the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu and Fort San Pedro. As a coastal town surrounding by islands, participants can enjoy diving, snorkelling and sailing. The city features hotels, banks, postal services, and several hospitals and clinics.

Barili is located approximately 2 hours south-west of Cebu City. As a regional town, it features fewer amenities than Cebu City though it does have banks, markets and a basic hospital.

As the centre has two facilities and a significant part of this role involves community education, this placement will require travel between the two locations on a regular basis.

The Challenge

The Kadasig Centre works with communities that have low levels of literacy and limited health education. Improving basic health knowledge – including sexual health, first aid, and disease prevention – has been identified as critical to the future wellbeing of these communities. Building a sustainable, community-based health education program will assist Kadasig in strengthening community resilience in the future.

Implementing the program will require awareness of local customs, particularly Catholic values, and awareness of local literacy levels. Using simple communication free from jargon is essential. Sensitivity over sexual health education will be important and the successful candidate will need to identify appropriate individuals to lead these sessions.

About You

Kadasig Aid and Development has requested a suitably qualified and experienced nurse or paramedic. The successful candidate must demonstrate:

  • Minimum of 2 years experience (preferred)
  • Experience working with children and families
  • Some knowledge or experience in developing countries and cultural considerations in the Philippines is desired.
  • Ability and willingness to travel between Barili and Cebu City (and complete other local travel as required).
  • Willingness to work in Barili for a minimum of 12 months.
  • Willingness to engage their Australian community in promoting the work of the host organisation and their role.

How You Will Help

First you must be willing to learn from the local community.

Over the first six months you are asked not to change anything or suggest a change to operations.  During that six months you will take the time to learn language and cultural mores from a local counterpart willing to mentor you.  You will also start a register of the strengths of the current personnel and the assets in the community/country that might be used to achieve the goals of the assignment.

You need to commit to clarifying why things are done the way they are rather than presuming from your own cultural lens to outline what is missing. So, you need to ask questions to enable you to learn from your hosts, rather than in ignorance make suggestions about how things can improve. Palms training will prepare you for this approach.

In the second six months you will be ready and better know which of your skills and what of your knowledge applies to:

  • Improving access to basic medical care for vulnerable children, young people and their families by localising a nurse within the local communities
  • Undertaking health promotion and prevention education to children, young people and their families to reduce the prevalence of preventable illnesses.
  • Providing training and basic resources to Kadasig staff and community leaders to enable them to continue basic health promotion and prevention education.
  • Supporting the continued development of local and international partnerships in order to raise the profile of the needs of vulnerable children in the Philippines and ensure a coordinated and sustainable response.

It is expected that at the conclusion of your assignment, the ongoing training of staff and community leaders will be able to be conducted by a staff member you have supported.

 

Note: The monthly living allowance enables you to live a modest local lifestyle. Based on the cost of living in a particular country, it covers food, your daily commute, communication and other local costs. It is not set to enable you to meet financial commitments at home, such as a mortgage or a personal loan.  It will not cover the costs of eating out and other entertainment. Read more about what is covered in our FAQ. All applicants will be required to complete a Working with Children, Police Check and accreditation through Days for Girls to distribute kits.

Think you have what it takes? Register your interest


    * Successful applicants must be available to attend an orientation course in Sydney. Palms Australia will not fund international flights and will not sponsor visas to attend this course. Read our FAQ for more.