Mission and objectivesThe Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems world-wide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org). The UNHCR Representation Office in Rwanda principally manages a refugee population (mainly refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo who have been on the Rwan-dan territory since 1996 and Burundian refugees who have been arriving in the country further to the volatile situation in Burundi since April 2015) as well as a significant re-turnee population of Rwandan refugees returning after many years in exile. It is com-posed of the Branch Office in Kigali and Field Offices in Huye, Gicumbi, Rusizi, Rubavu, Karongi, Kirehe and Kabarore. It hosts approximately 155,749 refugees in three proracted refugee camps, namely Nyabiheke (managed by Kabarore Office) Gihembe (managed by Gicumbi Office) as well as Kiziba (managed by Karongi Office), three new refugee camps, namely Kigeme and Mugombwa (managed by Huye Office) as well as Mahama (managed by Kirehe Office), and urban settings (Kigali and Huye). Since April 2015, UNHCR is also supporting two additional reception centers in Bugesera and Nyanza districts for Burundian refugees. The existing transit center in Rusizi (Nyagatare Transit Centre) that was receiving Rwandan returnees has also started functioning as a reception center for Burundian new arrivals. As of December 2013, Rwanda hosted approximately 74,000 Congolese refugees. 99% of the refugee caseload is predomi-nantly composed of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with 84% originating from North Kivu and 11% from South Kivu.
ContextRefugee communities, particularly those in urban areas like Huye, face challenges in staying connected and have limited awareness of their own networks. The scarcity of resources forces them to prioritize seeking livelihood opportunities over community engagement. To address these challenges and enhance community protection mechanisms, UNHCR Rwanda has implemented a Community-Based Protection Project. This initiative, combined with an im-proved accountability framework and feedback mechanisms, aims to empower refugees to communicate more effectively with UNHCR. Concurrently, the operation seeks to enhance the quality of protection services, including targeted support for vulnerable refugees in both urban and camp settings. The UNV (Community Based Protection Associate) will support the project activities, facilitate communication channels between UNHCR and refugee communities and facilitate the roll-out of the project in urban settings and camps in Rwanda.
Task DescriptionUnder the direct supervision of Associate Protection Officer, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: โข Draft preliminary assessment for individual case and peasant to Head of protection unit for review and further processing. โข Morning and evaluate Community based protection partners to ensure community-based protection activities are delivery timely to PoCs and enable the referral procedure for dealing with individual case referrals. โข Conducted protection desk/reception at urban setting and in the camp by Identifying person with specific need and refer them to HI for further assistance. โข Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with persons of concern, host communities, local authorities and partners. Contribute to ensuring that the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in an AGD-compliant strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations โข Provide advice on protection issues to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation. โข Ensure that UNHCRโs policies, standards and procedures are constantly and coherently ap-plied in the Area of Responsibility (AoR). โข Assist in ensuring that the needs of persons of concern in the AoR are assessed and ana-lysed in a participating manner and using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective to form a firm basis for planning. โข Assist in ensuring that protection incidents and gaps in assistance are immediately identified and addressed. โข Assist in identifying vulnerable groups or individuals who may need special attention or special arrangements and make recommendations on the needs of different groups of refugees. โข Contribute to asset mapping of existing public facilities in area of responsibility and share the gathered information with the COVs and supervisor accordingly. โข Contribute to continuous capacity building of the COVs and participate in various assessments and initiatives (Cash-based interventions, Livelihoods, etc.). โข Assist, accompany and monitor the activities of the COVs on daily basis. โข Assist the COVs in case management, referral and reporting. โข Draft weekly and monthly reports and provide the statistics on case management. โข Assist in developing and assist in maintaining relations with local authorities ensuring smooth negotiations in all aspects of UNHCR's mandate for the benefit of refugees. โข Convey appropriate information to the refugee community as per UNHCR guidelines and take active part in raising community awareness campaigns. โข Provide orientation for newly identified COVs. โข Case follow-up in Huye urban programme, as needed based on vulnerabilities identified by partners, executive committee members or other UNHCR staffs. โข Coordination with partners, monitoring and reporting on implementation of youth activities in Kigeme and Mugombwa camps including Mind leaps project. โข Assist in identifying durable solutions for the largest possible number of persons of concern through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement. โข Undertake other relevant duties as required
Competencies and valuesโ Accountability โ Adaptability and Flexibility โ Building Trust โ Client Orientation โ Communication โ Ethics and Values โ Integrity โ Planning and Organizing โ Professionalism โ Respect for Diversity โ Self-Management โ Technological Awareness โ Working in Teams
Living conditions and remarksHuye is not a duty station where staffs reside in UNHCR housing in terms of accommodation. Houses are available for rent and staffs are guided upon arrival to available housing options which are usually equipped with adequate facilities. The usual practice is to give at least a three-months deposit upon signing a rent contract. Huye has small private clinics that can offer consultations with general practicians or some specialists. There is a tertiary level facility (CHUB - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Butare) which is considered referral hospital at the national level. Limited education facilities are available for staffs' children. There are no accredited international schools in Huye but private schools offering teaching in English or French, following the national curricula. Security in Huye is at Level 1 and is a family duty station (category B) with low security risks. Banking facilities are available. Transport is available with (private) buses every 30min / every hour (depending on the time of the year) to Kigali. Concerning transport, even though motorcycle taxis are not recommended, they are the fastest way to get around the big cities. Helmets are provided, but it is better to have your own helmet. You can also take a standard taxi. Those with a yellow stripe will be run by individuals. Public transportation is the cheapest, and many of the buses are new and well-maintained. You can also take these buses farther afield; expect to pay a fare based on distance. Shops and markets are available with necessary items including imported goods, home furnishings and electrical appliances. For volunteers, the UNV Programme offers monthly living allowance to cover basic needs like housing, utilities, transportation, and communication. The purpose of the allowances and entitlements paid to UN Volunteers is to enable UN Volunteers to sustain a secure standard of living at the duty stations in line with United Nations standards without incurring personal costs. The allowances are in no way to be understood as compensation, reward, or salary in exchange for the UN Volunteerโs service.