WASH Public Health / Hygiene Promotion Assistant at Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) (2 Openings)

Cooperazione Internazionale is an Italian humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in Milan in 1965. COOPI aims to help the world’s poorest to improve their access to healthcare, food, and financial security, and to overcome their special vulnerability to wars, civil conflicts, and natural disasters. For 60 years of long-term support and constant presence in the field, COOPI has been engaged in breaking the cycle of poverty and responding to specific emergencies in numerous sectors, including Food Security, Humanitarian Aid, Health, Socio-Economic Services, Water and Sanitation, Human Rights, Education and Training, Migrations and Sustainable Energy.

COOPI started its operations in North-East Nigeria in July 2014 to carry out a rapid evaluation of the most relevant constraints suffered by the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) displaced by the food crisis and the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: WASH Public Health / Hygiene Promotion Assistant 

Locations: Sabon Birni and Isa LGA, Sokoto
Employment Type: Full-time
Project/Programme: Integrated emergency response to the displaced population in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina States, NW Nigeria, BHA (Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance)
Reports to: WASH Public Health Promotion OfficerSupervised: Wash Sector Lead/Deputy Project Manager
Contract Duration: 5 Months.
Starting Date: ASAP
Working Condition: 100% Field-Based

Job Summary

• Public Health / Hygiene Promotion assistant will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Hygiene Promotion activities/WASH and NFIs distribution activities in the IDP Camps, Health facilities, and communities under the BHA Project in Sokoto.
• He/she is overall responsible for implementing approved technical approaches to hygiene promotion, maintaining program quality, and ensuring that all hygiene objectives are met on time and within the budget.

Essential Job Functions
Project Implementation and Supervision:

• Ensure that the hygiene promotion activities are implemented in a timely and professional manner (as per SPHERE and COOPI standards) and in line with beneficiary needs, putting in mind the BHA project objectives and ensuring that all hygiene promotion activities are in line with project strategy and design.
• To assist the WASH Public Health Promotion officer in the coordination of the WASH Public Health Promotion activities according to strategy, proposals, budgets, and plans
• Directly implement hygiene promotion activities in IDP camps, health facilities, and communities; this includes household visits, hygiene awareness sessions, and distribution of hygiene promotion materials/NFIs.
• Coordinate closely with the WASH Officer-Water and Sanitation and Hygiene Promoters over water quality and beneficiary needs, and preferences regarding water collection points
• If requested, participate in any inter-sectoral assessment process, including analysis and planning.
• Directly manage the day-to-day hygiene promotion activities in the field locations.
• Ensure that hygiene promotion activities meet agreed objectives within the timeframe.
• Ensure program activities foster accountability to beneficiaries, gender, and protection sensitivity and inclusion are adequately addressed in programming.
• Distribute Information, Communication, and Education (IEC) materials to Community hygiene Promoters and train hygiene promoters on their appropriate use.
• Provide technical support and training for hygiene promoters, community volunteers, community leaders, kids’ hygiene under protection, and WASH committees.
• Provide regular reports, document results, maintain detailed records, and report weekly progress on hygiene promotion activities
• Support in the mobilization and engagement of community leaders, members, and project participants.
• Maintain comprehensive control systems on materials and tools used, including notes on the quality of materials and detailed NFI distribution records.
• Maintain close links and collaboration with other WASH teams and the sector, including Health, Nutrition, Protection, and MPCA teams throughout the project and support where needed.
• Assist the WASH Officer with hygiene promotion to identify, train, and support Community hygiene promoters, WASH committee members, and Kids hygiene club members.
• Supervise and manage community Hygiene promoters.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable work teams to successfully complete their tasks on time and within budget.
• Responsible for the community hygiene promoter’s weekly reports and weekly work plans.

Information Management / Reporting:

• Provide periodic reports of field site works and challenges to the team lead.
• Ensure that all construction/infrastructure data within the staff’s portfolio of sites is well managed and provides an accurate representation of the reality on the ground.
• Submit regular reports related to the work progress to the WASH officer.

Security Management Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the day-to-day security management as it relates to program implementation.
• Abide by the security procedures and policies of the organization and report any breaches.
• Perform other relevant tasks as assigned.

Qualifications
Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree / HND, OND in Public Health, Geology, Microbiology, Chemistry and any other relevant field with rich field experience.
• Minimum of two years of experience in WASH in an emergency, hygiene promotion/NFIs distribution, especially in IDP camps.
• Experience in the establishment and training of Hygiene Promoters, WASH committees in IDP camps and experience in conducting water quality tests is an added advantage.
• Good communication skills, effective representation, liaison with community members and leaders, community engagement, and mobilization.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software applications (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook, Access).
• Good English language skills (verbal and written)
• Willing and able to be based and travel regularly within remote areas, where the network may be limited.
• Fluency in Hausa and English.

Location to be based:

• Isah or Sabon Birni LGAs, Sokoto state. (80% in Isah and Sabon Birni and 20% in Raba, Goronyo, and Sokoto south of the time).

Application Closing Date
11th September, 2025.