Volunteer Position - Veterinarian Advisor | Meru Dairy, Kenya
Skip to Main Content

Veterinarian Advisor | Meru Dairy, Kenya

Vets Without Borders is looking for a Veterinarian Advisor volunteer to work with Meru Dairy Co-operative based in Meru, Kenya.

Download Volunteer Placement PDF

Volunteer Placement Details

Position Title: Veterinarian Advisor

Country: Kenya

Location: Meru

Partner Organization: Meru Dairy Co-operative Union

Duration: 6 - 12 months (flexible)

Start Date: June to September 2023 (or upon availability)

Pre-departure Training: VWB/VSF will provide training orientation.

Eligibility: Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada only

Language: English (essential)

Academic Requirements: Minimum Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVM) Degree from a recognized institution

Fundraising: VWB/VSF encourages each volunteer to raise funds towards the organization’s operations.

Volunteer Terms & Conditions 

VWB/VSF covers most of the costs of being an overseas volunteer, including:

  • Return airfare to placement country 
  • Visa/permit costs
  • The cost of required vaccinations, anti-malarial medication, and overseas emergency travel health insurance
  • A monthly living allowance (MLA) that will be paid into the volunteer’s bank account in Canada. The MLA is designed to be sufficient to cover simple housing, basic food requirements, and other typical monthly living expenses.

Volunteer Application: Veterinarian Advisor, Meru Dairy, Kenya

Our Commitment 

Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires sans Frontière is an equal opportunity employer and values the diversity of our team.

We are committed to inclusive and equitable employment practices and strive to create a workplace that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion. VWB/VSF Canada welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, including members of racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, women, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity.

Please let us know if you require an accommodation and we will work with you to ensure an equitable hiring process. Thank you for your interest in VWB/VSF Canada.
 
 

Overall Goal

The primary purpose of the Veterinarian Advisor is to support dairy groups in increasing daily production and reduce losses due to disease and low- quality milk. The Veterinarian will support through technical assistance and knowledge-sharing, in line with our One Health approach.

The role will involve working directly with the community members and Meru Dairy Cooperative staff, together with the local coordinator and Africa Program Manager.

Objectives

  • Provide training to local farmers, partner organisations and extension officers.
  • Help in development of champion farmers and demo farm.
  • Assist to collect baseline information on farmer challenges, development and needs.

All volunteers are expected to promote gender equality, environmental sustainability, and good governance within their placement responsibilities

Skills

Essential

  • At least 3 years’ work experience in treatment of animals and other veterinary duties including animal welfare management
  • Demonstrated knowledge of Dairy Science and Dairy Cattle management
  • Experience advising on good veterinary practices, animal breeding and welfare
  • Ability to undertake post-mortem examinations and other diagnostic tests
  • Experience collecting data and preparing reports on animal health, products and markets
  • Effective cross-cultural communication skills
  • Commitment to the principles of volunteer cooperation and familiarity with participatory approaches to development, including the promotion of gender equality, good governance and environmental sustainability

Desirable

  • Previous international work/volunteer experience in the international development sector

About the Project: VETS

Volunteers Engaged in Gender Responsive Technical Solutions (VETS), funded through the Volunteer Cooperation Program at Global Affairs Canada, will engage 190 volunteers to work with local partner organizations in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Volunteers will help create integrated animal health systems to increase the livelihoods and household nutrition of small-scale farmers. The VETS program utilizes the skills of volunteers to build local partner capacity to support community members, primarily women, to reduce poverty. Through improved production of livestock and crops, volunteers help improve family income and nutrition.

The VETS program is built around the One Health concept, which recognizes that the health of people, animals, and the natural environment are interconnected. This project promotes the production of more and better food and increased incomes from livestock, all the while promoting land rehabilitation and conservation for sustainable development.

Learn More About The VETS Project

About Veterinarians Without Borders

In the global south, more than 90 percent of food animals are raised by subsistence farmers. However, small-scale livestock producers, the majority of whom are women, have very limited access to quality and affordable animal health services.

Aside from the risks associated with the loss of valuable livestock that provides important protein and/or income for low-income households, zoonotic diseases that can be passed from animals to humans offer a very real threat to human health on a wider scale.

Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires sans frontières (VWB/VSF) works for and with communities in need to foster the health of animals, people, and the environments that sustain us. VWB/VSF works nationally and internationally to train animal health workers, increase food security, and improve animal and public health.

VWB/VSF provides overseas volunteer placements for veterinarians and other animal and public health professionals.

Learn More About VWB

« Go Back

Stories From Around The World

Webinar: Volunteering for Her: Championing Gender and Climate Resilience in Laos

Webinar: Volunteering for Her: Championing Gender and Climate Resilience in Laos

Posted Nov 27th, 2024

Register now for our upcoming, live webinar to be held on December 5th, in recognition of International Volunteer Day 2024, to learn about the intersection of gender and climate in Laos and how our volunteers are making a difference in rural communities.

Read more

Renewed Global Commitment to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance: A Complex Challenge Requiring a One Health Approach

Renewed Global Commitment to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance: A Complex Challenge Requiring a One Health Approach

Posted Nov 18th, 2024

Written by Dr. Andrea Ellis (DVM), a member of the VWB Board of Directors, this article explores the evolution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) thinking, highlighting the critical role of environmental inclusion and a One Health approach, and showcasing how VWB’s focus on animal husbandry, disease prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship aligns with the Quadripartite partnership’s vision for a coordinated global response.

Read more

Poultry and Possibility in Ukraine: Rethinking Aid in Protracted Crises

Poultry and Possibility in Ukraine: Rethinking Aid in Protracted Crises

Posted Nov 14th, 2024

In this op-ed, VWB's Executive Director, Charmaine Brett, discusses how poultry farming is helping to build sustainable recovery for families in Ukraine.

Read more

  • I loved being placed in Ghana and believe I made a significant impact to the communities.
    - Madison Russel

Become A Part Of The Big Picture

By supporting Veterinarians Without Borders through donations or volunteering, you become part of the Big Picture solution. 

Volunteer  Donate  

+1(343) 633-0272 Contact