Agro Engineering Instructor, Dar es Salaam

Background An estimated 70 percent of agriculture labour force consists of women who generally have inadequate capacities and limited access to productive resources. Estimations indicate that about 41 percent of Zanzibar annual food requirements are accounted for by food imports . The main purpose of this role is to provide support the Ministry and the institute on agro mechanics technologies in order to develop agricultural practices to better meet the needs of Tanzania's people.

What does the role involve

Participate in developing curricula for training on agriculture technicians
Deliver modules in agro engineering equipment, maintenance and application for instruction to tutors and Diploma students.
Set up short courses on agro mechanics for external partners and businesses
Support staff on building their capacity in agriculture engineering
Troubleshoot agro mechanics equipments, implements and machinery
Conduct needs assessment on appropriate simple agro mechanics to help SHF and the Kizimbani Institute in order to develop the industry in the region.

Skills, qualifications and experience required You'll have a degree in agricultural engineering or a related field with experience of teaching in a vocational or academic field. Practical experience of the fabrication and maintenance of agricultural equipment is desirable. Overseas experience is desirable and working on projects for the poor would be advantageous. You'll have excellent communication and facilitation skills to assist you in meeting the need of a wide and varied group of stakeholders - both staff and students, as well as external organisations and partners.

And the rest.... Unguja is a hilly island and is the island of the Zanzibar Archipelago that has the most developed tourism industry as well as a strong agricultural focus. The staple diet in Tanzania consists of either maize, usually ground into flour and cooked into a stiff porridge called Ugali, or rice (on the coast), or bananas (North West region). These are usually served with a sauce of beans or spinach and sometimes meat or fish. Special occasions are generally celebrated with pilau and goat. Each region has its own language, which for most Tanzanians is their first language. The national language, Kiswahili, is Bantu in origin, with the addition of many words taken from Arabic as well as some from Portuguese, German and English.

How to apply:

See http://www.vso.org.uk/volunteer/apply-now for more details. Reference number (please quote in your application form: T1014/0001/0001)