2Seeds
80% of Tanzanians
depend on subsistence farming, yet 50% of Tanzanians cannot produce enough to
eat. Simultaneously, 54% of college graduates under the age of 25 are not using
their skills – they are either unemployed or underemployed.
The 2Seeds Network,
recognizing abundant human capital around the globe, is building a network of
community-based agricultural development projects in East Africa. 2Seeds
recruits and trains young people to live in rural Tanzania for one year and
develop projects in partnership with subsistence farmers. 2Seeds’ mission is
Human Capital Development: we help our Tanzanian partners achieve their
productive potential to grow more food and generate more income from what they
produce, and help young people fulfill their potential as values-driven
leaders.
We don’t believe
that bureaucracy
can ever compensate for strong, independent decision making on
the ground. We don’t believe that development work is only for those who intend
to make a career in the non-profit sector. We don’t believe that work
experience is more important than character, drive, and a sense of adventure.
We don’t believe that development work is a one-way street in which we only
give and the impoverished receive. We don’t believe poverty is inevitable.
What we do believe
is that human talent is universal. It’s as prevalent in the United States, or
Brazil, or other countries as it is in the smallest village in Tanzania. We
believe that a person like you—at the beginning of your career, eager for true
leadership experience and deeply concerned with leaving your mark on a cause
that is noble and good—has the potential to develop and lead a project in
Tanzania this year.
2Seeds separates
itself from other international NGO’s in a few key ways:
- Project
Coordinators are one-year volunteers. The experience is designed to
provide accelerated leadership development, and volunteers continue on
their professional journeys with new skills and resolve to take on the
world. - Our
Values: we are governed first and foremost by our commitment to humility,
self-awareness, partnership, resource stewardship, compassion, and
results. These values bind together all the members of our network - Project
Coordinators live in the communities they serve. Our Project Coordinators
share in the lives of their partners, building the trust and respect
necessary to catalyze change. - The
dual focus on volunteer and community leadership development means we are
busting the power dynamics prevalent in traditional “service.”
We are not “helping poor people” – we are promoting a model in
which everyone involved is changed and improved. - We
strive to work ourselves out of a job. From their beginnings, our projects
are designed to be owned and led by our local partners. Each year,
projects are building towards self-sustainability and transition to local
leadership. - 2Seeds
takes seriously its notion of network. Project Coordinators are matched
with a mentor – a highly-accomplished professional who will serve as their
personal and professional coach for the year as Project Coordinators push
theirs projects forward and push their comfort zones wide. In addition,
Project Coordinators have access to the powerful 2Seeds Network and alumni
base.
Opportunity – The
Masoko Project
2Seeds seeks
committed and courageous leaders to serve as Project Coordinators (PCs) for the
2013-2014 cycle (August 2013-July 2014). 2Seeds is currently recruiting
candidates to help lead the Masoko
Project, a specialized project located in Dar es Salaam.
Purpose
The purpose of the
Masoko Project is to increase Tanzanian farmers’ access to high value markets,
improve the transparency of agricultural value chains in the country in a way
that enables farmers’ decision-making, and help 2Seeds and its partners achieve
greater possibilities through connections to urban centers.
Current
Initiatives
The Masoko Project
currently operates three interdependent initiatives. Masoko Project
Coordinators are responsible for leading these three initiatives, together with
local partners and stakeholders.
1) KMC Market Solution:
The Masoko Project is based in the Kariakoo Market in Dar es Salaam. Kariakoo
is Tanzania’s largest agricultural market. Since 2011, Project Coordinators of
the Masoko Project have worked with managers of Kariakoo Market Corporation to
improve market operations and better connect with farmers in rural areas.
Masoko Project PCs will work with key stakeholders to lead two primary
activities related to these objectives:
- Collection
and dissemination of price information on all agricultural goods sold
within Kariakoo Market through digital database and mobile application,
currently in development. - Improvement
of market efficiency through market mapping
2) Organization Collaboration:
The Masoko Project facilitates the 2Seeds Lecture Series, a regular gathering
of organizations working to improve the smallholder agricultural value chain.
These gatherings enable the sharing of knowledge, data, and best practices
among organizations committed to common goals.
3) Farmers’ Market Development:
The Masoko Project works to improve 2Seeds partners’ access to high-value
markets by facilitating supply relationships and participation in farmers’
markets throughout Dar es Salaam.
Serving as Project
Coordinator is a powerful leadership experience for anyone eager to get their
hands dirty and accelerate their personal and professional growth. To succeed
in their work, Project Coordinators must possess the following personal
qualities:
- Demonstrated
leadership capacity. - A
resilient drive to succeed. - Humility
necessary to be a mature and thoughtful leader. - Passion
for the work. - Generosity
of spirit / willingness to engage / openness to culture. - An
orientation towards perseverance, creativity, and generating results.
In its selection
process, 2Seeds looks for quality of character first. In addition to character
and values alignment, Project Coordinators for the Masoko Project should
possess the following qualifications:
- A
bachelors degree - Minimum
two years of professional experience - Exceptional
ability to manage high-level stakeholder relationships - Familiarity
with ICT systems is a plus - Experience
living and working in East Africa is a plus
All Project
Coordinators raise funds to provide investment capital for their projects and
cover all costs of living.2Seeds
is committed to recruiting exceptional Project Coordinators regardless of their
background; additional fundraising support is be available for Project
Coordinators who demonstrate need.
Project Coordinators
commit to working in Tanzania from August 2014 – July 2015.
Application Details
Please contact Sam
Bonsey at sam.bonsey@2seeds.org for
information on how to apply for the Project Coordinator position
How
to apply
Contact Sam Bonsey
at sam.bonsey@2seeds.org for more details on how to apply.