JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Pro-Femmes/ Twese Hamwe (PFTH), in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, International trade Center and TradeMark Africa, is implementing the Value Addition for Dignified Employment (VADE) Project. This five-year project seeks to enhance access to dignified and fulfilling employment opportunities for youth, women, and persons with disabilities in Rwanda. The VADE Project aligns with the TMA Value-adding Initiative to Boost Employment program (VIBE) and the Mastercard Foundation’s 10-year Young Africa Works (YAW) strategy, launched in Rwanda in 2018, which aims to create opportunities for young people across Africa to secure dignified and fulfilling work while addressing key socio-economic challenges that include:

• Low business competitiveness, particularly for women and youth-owned MSMEs
• Limited access to domestic and cross-border market trade information, particularly for MSMEs owned by women and youth
• Trading in primary products rather than value-added products
• Poor compliance with standards, particularly for firms managed by women and youth
• Limited market access, particularly for women and youth-led businesses.

The project aims to enhance business competitiveness for youth and women in selected agricultural value chains, contributing to increased dignified employment in Rwanda. With an overall target of 20,000 participants (70% women, 30% youth), the project is now in its second year of implementation. The project activities are implemented in all (30) districts of Rwanda. 

 It is in this regard that PRO-FEMMES/TWESE HAMWE is looking for 3 suitable candidates to fill the position of Proximity Advisor for One (1) Year. Under the supervision of the Business and Entrepreneurship Specialist and Project Coordinator, the Proximity advisors will be in charge of coaching and mentoring financial literacy and entrepreneurship to young entrepreneurs and conducting other field-related activities. Three proximity advisors will join the other two proximity advisors who are currently working in Northern and Eastern Provinces, they will be deployed in any of the remaining provinces.

Key duties and responsibilities

The proximity advisor will undertake the following specific tasks:

• Work closely with local authorities and project team to identify, engage and facilitate youth and Women MSMES in doing business;
• Work with Business Development and Entrepreneurship specialist to assess the actual capacity needs of youth and Women MSMEs to inform capacity building support;
• Monitor and evaluate the implementation of youth and Women MSMES business plans
• Coordinate capacity building activities of youth and Women MSMES
• Engage, coordinate and organize trainings of youth and Women MSMES in areas of financial literacy, entrepreneurship, quality standards and business management;
• Engage and closely work with local Business development partners and financial institutions to bridge gaps in areas of financial literacy, entrepreneurship and business management;
• Collaborate with local financial institutions to raise sound awareness and understanding about financial literacy among youth and Women MSMES, and importance of working with FIs ;
• Collaborate with national and local institutions to educate and raise awareness about laws and regulations on business development and meeting quality standards ;
• Work shoulder-by-shoulder with youth and Women MSMEs to promote the culture and their capabilities of financial management, savings as well as working with FIs in their business throughout the project;
• Organize peer-to-peer awareness trainings and other planned trainings for youth and Women MSMEs ;
• Link and facilitate youth and Women MSMEs to access finance by providing proximity financial and entrepreneurial advisory services prior to and after access to finance.
• Participate in the entrepreneurship and access to finance meetings and forums organized by different stakeholders and follow-up the implementation of decision taken regarding access to finance and business development;
• Continuous assess the growing capacity needs of the youth and Women MSMES and facilitate to design targeted interventions with Pro-Femmes;
• Continuously conduct an inventory of existing financial products and grants meant for women and available from local financial institutions, thereafter, encourage and facilitate youth and Women MSMES to exploit these schemes;
• Plan, implement, monitor and report on implementation of project activities to the project coordinator.
• Constantly up-date the database and provide timely data and list of youth and Women MSMES and their progress on the financial inclusion
• Perform other tasks as shall be advised by the supervisors at Pro-Femmes /Twese Hamwe.

Desired competencies and qualifications for proximity advisors

• At least hold a bachelor’s degree in management, economics, Finance, or accounting.
• Experience working with NGOs, local financial institutions, and business development institutions
• At least 3 years of progressive experience in financial education, specifically related to trade, entrepreneurship, business, and MSMEs
• Broad knowledge of gender equality, women empowerment, business plan and development,
• Strong experience and knowledge of civil society in Rwanda
• Fluent in English and Kinyarwanda, knowledge of French is an added advantage
• Excellent communicator orally and in writing
• Innovative self-driven and team player
• Interpersonal skills with experience of working in multicultural contexts
• Computer literacy

Expression of interest and application

 Interested candidates should address their application enclosed with a cover letter, Curriculum vitae, academic documents, and other certificates to the Chairperson of PRO-FEMMES/TWESE HAMWE and delivered in hard copy to PRO-FEMMES/TWESE HAMWE’s office located in Gahanga Sector, Kicukiro District by latest 25^th March 2025 at 3:00 PM.

N.B

• Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the written test.
• Online applications will not be considered

Done on 14^th March 2025.

Emma Marie Bugingo

Executive Director

Pro-Femmes/TweseHamwe