Lactation Specialist – Bekaa - Part Time

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland is the official humanitarian relief agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America.  Since its inception in 1992, IOCC has delivered $488 million in relief and development programs to families and communities in more than 50 countries.  IOCC seeks a part-time motivated Lactation Specialist in Bekaa. Infant and young child feeding practices are one of the basic pillars in the treatment and management of malnutrition, especially for infants under 6 months of age. The Lactation Specialist will complement the program by providing awareness and counseling to mothers affected by the Syria crisis with sub-optimal infant and young child feeding at various levels: community level, Primary Healthcare level and Secondary Healthcare level. Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to: Provide support and counseling to mothers identified with difficulties breastfeeding and/or sub-optimal infant and young child feeding practices at the community level, PHC level and hospital level. Provide support and counseling to mothers of children with acute malnutrition that are under 2 years of age, with a special focus on exclusive breastfeeding for infants under 6 months of age. Assist and give one-on-one counseling sessions related to IYCF for pregnant women at the Primary Health Care centers and to mothers who have just delivered through routine visits to targeted hospitals in the area of work. Conduct regular follow-up visits to all women assisted, especially for assisted mothers of children under 6 months to ensure exclusive breastfeeding. Give awareness sessions to spread the knowledge among vulnerable families about optimal IYCF-E practices in the community and Primary Healthcare Centers in the area. Contribute to the training of hospital staff at targeted hospitals to support the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Assist in the establishment and training of Mother Support Groups and supervise the activity of the mother support groups Report daily and weekly to the IYCF officer and IYCF Coordinator on all activities conducted by completing the required forms Fill and submit the IYCF databases as needed Keep the necessary files for each case visited and counseled. Attend IOCC-related staff meetings when required Represent IOCC in a professional manner and wears the IOCC jacket and ID at all times when on duty Performs other duties as necessary. Qualified applicants will possess: Native Arabic speaker and fluency in English is necessary Strong social, interpersonal, communication and intercultural skills Team player Able to meet deadlines Computer literacy: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc. Midwife preferred or related field Has completed the 20-hour training on Infant and Young Child Feeding At least 2 years work experience as a midwife; or 1 year work experience with M.Sc. Previous experience in NGO, and humanitarian field is an advantage Previous experience in CMAM and IYCF program implementation is an advantage