New Relief Workers
- Would you like to put your professional experience to use in a place where people desperately need help?
- Are you motivated to travel to a distant foreign country, respond to people’s needs with humility and compassion, and work alongside them to provide solutions?
- Do you suspect you might want to be a relief worker, but have no idea if you are qualified, or if you could even be of service to the most vulnerable?
If you answered “YES” to all these questions, then this next sentence should be of particular interest to you...
Medair provides opportunities for experienced professionals who have never worked in a field programme to become New Relief Workers, as long as they have a relevant skill set and meet our selection criteria.
We are one of the only humanitarian agencies in the emergency relief and rehabilitation sector to provide these kinds of opportunities.
After 20 years of serving the most vulnerable, Medair has learned the immense value of working with teams that include both new and experienced relief workers. New Relief Workers learn the Medair context of emergency relief and rehabilitation, and are able to apply their depth of professional experience and skills right away to help save and sustain lives.
What does Medair provide for New Relief Workers?
Medair takes great care to ensure the security and well-being of all of our staff. New Relief Workers are given a small wage, and Medair provides numerous benefits for our staff, including:
- Full briefing at our Swiss headquarters, as well as an in-country briefing
- Security training for those going to insecure environments
- Accommodation, food, and transportation in-country
- Return flights to and from the country programme (one return flight for every year of service)
- Annual leave, plus rest and recuperation (R&R) leave (including travel, accommodation, and food)
- Additional benefits for those who commit to longer contracts: up to four weeks additional paid leave every 12 months, and re-entry allowance
- Comprehensive medical and emergency rescue insurance, with up to 60 days post- assignment coverage, including debriefing
- US$100 per month
- As soon as 12 months relief work or its equivalence has been completed, a salary based upon the grade of the position and experience of the position-holder, ranging from US$1,200 to US$3,500 per month
What are Medair’s selection criteria for New Relief Workers?
Our staff are extraordinary people, whose character and commitment strengthen our team ethic and facilitate our work with the most vulnerable.
So – although Medair is willing to open the door for people with limited or no relief work experience – the selection process is still a rigorous one. We set the bar high for prospective staff, and are rewarded with teams that display some of the most remarkable spirit and unity in the humanitarian sector.
All of our prospective New Relief Workers must meet the following criteria:
- Committed Christians
- Commitment to the Medair Values
- Reflect the vision and values of Medair when interacting with team members, local staff, beneficiaries and external contacts
- At least one year of professional experience in a relevant field
- Overseas intercultural experience
- Competent with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written)
- Working knowledge of French (spoken and written) for French-speaking roles
- Single or married (with no children under 18). If married, your spouse must also apply
- Able to live and work with a multicultural team under difficult conditions
- Strong character traits, including emotional stability, adaptability, ability to handle stress, cultural and gender sensitivity, honesty, and physically fit
- Willing to pay course fees plus any travel costs for Medair’s week-long Relief and Rehabilitation Orientation Course (ROC).
The ROC for New Relief Workers
Candidates who meet all of the above requirements must successfully complete Medair’s week-long Relief and Rehabilitation Orientation Course (ROC). The ROC is an intensive experiential introduction to Medair and their approach to relief work. Every prospective candidate is assessed on their performance during the ROC, and this evaluation serves as the strongest determinant as to whether they are qualified to become a Medair New Relief Worker.
The ROC fee of €500* (Euro), which includes room and board for seven days.
The fee is payable within five days of receiving your ROC attendance confirmation.
Personal travel costs to and from the ROC.
- ROC fees are non-refundable, apart from exceptional cases, and when there is a minimum of three weeks’ notice given.
* 500 Euros is the fee for the ROC in Switzerland. The fee for the ROC held in the U.S. is USD 750.
For more information about the ROC, including dates, locations, and a syllabus of activities, click here.
To review the application process, click here.
To apply for a Medair ROC or a Field vacancy, click here.
