Job Description

Adapted from Volunteer Assignment Description

The Belizean Ministry of Health requested Peace Corps Volunteers to support their Health Education and Community Participation Bureau (HECOPAB) program. HECOPAB is the health education and promotion arm of the Ministry of Health (MOH), which is responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing health promotion programs, projects, interventions, and activities throughout Belize. Peace Corps/Belize’s new Rural Family Health Project (RFHP) supports the MOH priority areas in maternal, neonatal, and child health and healthy lifestyles, specifically non-communicable diseases.

As a Community Health Resource Volunteer, with a focus on rural community health. Through active community participation, you and your health work partners will support the implementation of health programs designed to benefit the general population as well as target groups. Potential sample health activities may include:

•  Assist HECOPAB and the Maternal and Child Health Unit implement key health education and promotion activities designed to help families adopt positive behaviors and practices that contribute to the health of pregnant women and children. 
• Promote the prevention of childhood illnesses by improving the quality of health information about child care and immunizations to reduce child mortality in rural communities. 
• Assist HECOPAB and the Maternal and Child Health Unit design activities to improve infant and young child nutrition through health education and promotion. 
• Assist HECOPAB in utilizing the newly revised community health worker manual designed to promote healthy lifestyles, improved nutrition, reduce the incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCD), and to discourage sedentary lifestyles. 
• Promote physical activities with community members in order to foster physical and mental wellbeing and social connectedness in rural schools and communities. 
• Promote healthy eating practices with community members and rural community health works in small communities to prevent the onset of NCDs. 
• Ensure activities that are designed to take into consideration each community’s health profile.
• Lead Volunteer Task Teams to address Ministry of Health NCD and MCH priorities. 
• May be involved in HIV/AIDS education and prevention outreach activities. 

You will be supported by an array of health workers and leaders and will be expected to develop work plans, seek out available local resources, motivate group formation, and be a self-starter. Volunteer Placement Agreement: Every Volunteer will have a placement agreement in place prior to their arrival in their site.

All the activities under this health project will require networking and coordination with other donor agencies. Some groups that you will work with have low literacy capacity and engaging them will require patience and flexibility. Volunteers will also be expected to build the capacity of community health workers and community leaders. With time and a strong work ethic, your role and duties will be understood and you will succeed.