Consultants - ENGINE II at Mercy Corps Nigeria

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we collaborate to put bold solutions into action - helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within, now and for the future. In Nigeria, Mercy Corps operates in over 13 states focusing on key thematic areas of humanitarian response, conflict mitigation and adolescent girls’ empowerment.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Consultant - Educating the Nigerian Girls in New Enterprises (ENGINE II)

Location: Abuja, FCT
Consultancy: menstrual health management

Project Background

• The Educating Nigerian Girls in New Enterprises (ENGINE) programme is an initiative funded by DFID under its Girls’ Education Challenge Window (GEC). The first phase of the project started in October 2013 and ended in March 2017. In its first phase, marginalised girls between the ages of 16- 19 were supported to improve their learning outcomes and economic status. ENGINE I recorded successful implementation that saw to the enrolment of 24,489 in-school girls (ISGs) and out-of-school girls (OSGs) and completion of nine- month learning sessions at the safe space learning centres by 21,162 girls.
• Building upon the successes of ENGINE I, the second phase of the project ENGINE II started in April 2017 and will end in March 2020. It works with both in-school and out-of-school girls across the four states of Nigeria (Kano, Kaduna, Federal Capital Territory-FCT and Lagos Metropolis).
• ENGINE II is implemented at the State level through its implementing partners: AHI (Action Health Incorporated) for Lagos Metropolis, TCF (Tabitha Cumi Foundation) at Federal Capital Territory, SWODEN (Society for Women Development and Economic Empowerment of Nigeria) in Kano, and KHAN (Kindling Hope across Nations) for Kaduna.
• In order to achieve the overarching project goal, ENGINE II works in partnership with different public and private sectors such as, the Ministry of Education and its line agencies at the state level, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Access Bank, Airtel, Twinings and Proctor and Gamble.
• In line with the project’s objective of improving the life chances of marginalised girls and transitioning them to better future, Mercy Corps and P&G  under the ENGINE II programme is currently implementing a project called Let Girls Learn(LGL). The LGL project is implemented in ENGINE II project communities at 29 targeted communities in the FCT. The main objective of the project are:
  • To enhance beneficiaries’ knowledge and practices on menstruation and menstrual hygiene.
  • To create access to hygienic emergency sanitary products.
  • To strengthen support structures within the school and communities to advance the reproductive health and rights of adolescent girls. 
  • To advocate for the provision of adequate water, sanitation and hygienic facilities including disposal options.

Rationale for the LGL intervention:

• The rationale for the Let Girls Learn program is based on several studies, which have articulated the challenges girls face, including poor access to comprehensive information on menstruation, lack of appropriate materials to manage menstrual bleeding, and inadequate WASH facilities.
• These have negative consequences in the life of a girl leading to loss of dignity, behavioural restrictions, and absenteeism from the school and potential reproductive health risks for the girls.
• In the first phase of implementing the ENGINE project, beneficiaries attended a nine months learning session were they were trained on various academic and non-academic modules.
• On ENGINE II, the focus is to support beneficiaries to attain functional literacy and numeracy and enhanced life skills.
• Therefore, the ENGINE II P&G Let Girls Learn project IEC materials to be deployed for training will be inclusive of Sexual and Reproductive Health information focusing on menstrual health management (MHM).

Objectives of the consultancy