Livelihood Trainer (Kitchen Gardening)

Established in 1991 by a group of educated Afghan women in exile, the Afghan Women's Educational Center (AWEC) is a nonprofit, nonsectarian, nonpolitical, and nongovernmental organization dedicated to advocating for and raising awareness about the rights of women and children in Islam.

Our core activities focus on empowering women, eliminating violence, and increasing women's participation in both domestic and societal spheres.

With over three decades of experience, AWEC possesses a profound understanding of Afghanistan's socioeconomic, cultural, and political landscape. We are recognized as a leading organization that addresses the diverse needs of various communities, which are shaped by numerous social and economic factors.

Since 2002, AWEC has collaborated with women and communities to enhance access to education, health, and vocational services in Afghanistan. Our initiatives extend to livelihood improvement, protection, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), humanitarian aid, grant management, capacity building, social rehabilitation, cohesion, and justice. AWEC has successfully implemented projects in Logar, Faryab, Kapisa, Khost, Panjshir, Wardak, Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Badakhshan, Parwan, Paktia, Paktika, Laghman, Nuristan, and Bamyan provinces, maintaining an active presence in Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Badakhshan, Parwan, Paktia, Paktika, Laghman, Nuristan, and Bamyan.

Our vision in AWEC is “an inclusive and just society with sensitized and responsive public and private sector, where all women and children have access to opportunities to improve their quality of life in order to realize their full potential”.

AWEC has zero tolerance approach to the AWEC Code of Conduct including safeguarding, SH, and Fraud violations being committed by its staff, consultants, contractors, volunteers, interns, suppliers, vendors, sub-grantees/partners, implementing partners or any other associate.

The Livelihood Trainer (Kitchen Gardening) will be responsible for implementing the sustainable agriculture component of the Project through delivery of practical and theory-based kitchen gardening training to selected beneficiaries in targeted communities of Paghman district. The position aims to improve household food security, nutrition, and income resilience by equipping participants with practical skills in vegetable cultivation, small-scale backyard production, and environmentally sustainable farming practices.

The Trainer will conduct pre-selection assessments, deliver structured training, support distribution of toolkits and certified seeds, and conduct regular follow-up visits to ensure effective utilization of inputs and sustainability of household-level production for four months.

Responsibilities:

Support the pre-selection survey to assess access to irrigable backyard land, water availability, and readiness to engage in kitchen gardening activities.

Conduct baseline assessments to understand beneficiaries’ existing agricultural knowledge, resources, and production capacity.

Verify that beneficiaries meet minimum requirements before receiving toolkits.

Develop and deliver practical and classroom-based training on sustainable kitchen gardening techniques.

Provide instruction on land preparation, seed selection, planting techniques, crop rotation, composting, irrigation methods, pest control, and seasonal crop management.

Promote environmentally responsible and climate-sensitive agricultural practices in line with project objectives.

Ensure training content is context-specific and aligned with local agricultural conditions.

Support the distribution of kitchen gardening toolkits and certified seeds to training graduates.

Provide guidance on garden planning, seasonal crop management, and production scheduling to maximize household food availability throughout the year.

Conduct regular household visits to monitor garden establishment, crop growth, and proper utilization of tools and seeds.

Provide on-site technical coaching, problem-solving support, and guidance to improve vegetable yields for household consumption and potential surplus sales.

Advise beneficiaries on identifying safe and accessible local markets for surplus vegetables.

Facilitate connections between beneficiaries and local traders or community markets where feasible.

Provide basic orientation on simple pricing, cost estimation, and small-scale income tracking related to vegetable sales.

Encourage collective marketing practices through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) where appropriate.

Coordinate closely with Community Mobilizers to ensure attendance, participation, and follow-up at the community level.

Support integration of beneficiaries into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and provide technical guidance during group meetings when relevant.

Support the MEAL team in data collection, monitoring visits, documentation of outputs, and preparation of success stories.

Prepare and submit regular progress reports to the Project Manager.

Ensure compliance with organizational policies, safeguarding standards, and donor requirements.

Perform any other tasks assigned by the line manager.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, or a related field preferred (relevant technical certification with strong field experience may be considered).

Minimum 4 years of relevant experience in agricultural training, kitchen gardening, or sustainable farming interventions. Proven experience delivering practical, field-based agricultural training.

Skills:

Strong technical knowledge of small-scale vegetable production, irrigation systems, soil management.

Experience conducting field assessments and household-level follow-up visits.

Ability to provide hands-on coaching and technical guidance in rural settings.

Strong facilitation and communication skills.

Ability to work effectively with vulnerable households in conservative rural communities.

Fluency in Dari and Pashto required; English is required.

Willingness to travel regularly within Paghman District.

 Interested candidates are requested to send their CVs to the attention of following link: https://forms.gle/FHxChpgX97CEFak28

After submission your information. onlu eligible shortlisted candidates will be directly contacted for test/ Interview.

This announcement is open to applicants of all nationalities, with strong preference given to qualified candidates available within the same region.

“Being committed to diversity & equal employment opportunity we highly encourage females & people living with disabilities to apply, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to ethnicity, language, religious sect.”