Hygiene Promotion Officer

Hygiene Promotion Officer at Lindii Peace Foundation

Location: Borno

Employment Type: Contract

About the Role

• Lindii Peace Foundation (LPF) is seeking a qualified, proactive and community-oriented Hygiene Promotion Officer to support the implementation of hygiene promotion, behaviour change and community engagement activities under its humanitarian and development programmes.
• The Hygiene Promotion Officer will be responsible for planning and implementing hygiene awareness activities, promoting safe hygiene practices, mobilizing communities, conducting hygiene needs assessments and monitoring changes in hygiene-related knowledge and behaviour.
• The post holder will work closely with the WASH team, community volunteers, health personnel, local authorities and community leaders to improve hygiene practices and reduce the risk of waterborne and sanitation-related diseases among affected populations.
• The successful candidate will support the development of context-appropriate hygiene promotion messages and materials, facilitate community sessions, monitor access to hygiene information and identify barriers preventing households from adopting safe hygiene practices.
• The role will also contribute to the integration of hygiene promotion into WASH, health, nutrition and other relevant programme activities.
• This position requires strong community mobilization skills, effective communication, cultural sensitivity and a commitment to accountability, inclusion, safeguarding and evidence-based behaviour change in a humanitarian setting.

Key Responsibilities

Hygiene Promotion Planning and Implementation:

• Support the development and implementation of hygiene promotion plans, activity schedules and community engagement strategies in line with approved project objectives and targets.
• Conduct hygiene promotion activities in communities, health facilities, schools, displacement sites and other designated programme locations.
• Promote safe hygiene practices, including handwashing with soap, safe water handling, household water treatment where appropriate, food hygiene, personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness.
• Deliver hygiene education sessions tailored to the needs, cultural context, literacy levels and preferred communication methods of affected populations.
• Organize community awareness campaigns, group discussions, demonstrations, household visits and other appropriate hygiene promotion activities.
• Ensure that hygiene promotion messages are consistent with approved public health guidance, WASH standards and relevant programme protocols.
• Support the distribution and appropriate use of hygiene promotion materials, including posters, leaflets, visual aids and other approved communication resources.
• Coordinate with WASH and health teams to ensure that hygiene promotion activities complement improvements in water supply, sanitation facilities and public health services.
• Promote practical hygiene behaviours that households can adopt using locally available resources.
• Identify gaps in hygiene awareness and recommend appropriate activities to address community needs.

Community Mobilization and Behaviour Change:

• Mobilize community members to participate actively in hygiene promotion and public health awareness activities.
• Engage community leaders, women's groups, youth groups, religious leaders, community volunteers and other relevant structures to support hygiene behaviour change.
• Facilitate participatory discussions that encourage communities to identify hygiene challenges and develop locally appropriate solutions.
• Promote positive behaviour change through interpersonal communication, peer learning, demonstrations and repeated community engagement.
• Identify social, cultural, economic and environmental barriers that prevent households from practising safe hygiene behaviours.
• Work with community representatives to develop practical approaches to overcome identified barriers.
• Encourage household participation in maintaining clean living environments, safe water storage, proper waste disposal and hygienic sanitation practices.
• Support the establishment or strengthening of community hygiene committees and volunteer networks where appropriate.
• Provide technical guidance and regular support to community hygiene promoters and volunteers involved in programme activities.
• Monitor community participation and identify groups that may be excluded from hygiene promotion activities.
• Promote community ownership and sustained hygiene practices beyond the duration of project interventions.

Hygiene Education and Health Risk Prevention:

• Deliver hygiene education on the prevention of waterborne and sanitation-related diseases, including diarrhoeal diseases and cholera, using approved public health messages.
• Promote correct handwashing practices at critical times, including after using the toilet, after cleaning a child and before preparing or eating food.
• Educate households on safe drinking water collection, transportation, treatment where appropriate and storage.
• Promote hygienic food preparation, food storage and safe handling practices to reduce contamination risks.
• Support awareness activities on menstrual hygiene management and access to appropriate menstrual hygiene materials in a respectful and culturally sensitive manner.
• Promote safe disposal of faeces, proper toilet use, sanitation facility maintenance and environmental cleanliness.
• Support hygiene awareness activities for caregivers on safe hygiene practices for infants and young children.
• Coordinate with health personnel to disseminate approved health and hygiene messages during disease outbreaks and public health campaigns.
• Identify and promptly communicate emerging hygiene-related public health concerns to the relevant WASH or health supervisor.
• Avoid providing clinical advice or making medical diagnoses outside the scope of the role and refer health-related concerns to qualified healthcare personnel.

Hygiene Needs Assessments and Community Consultations:

• Conduct household visits, community consultations and basic hygiene assessments to identify hygiene practices, knowledge gaps and barriers to behaviour change.
• Collect information on household hygiene conditions, access to hygiene materials, water handling practices, sanitation behaviours and community information needs.
• Support baseline, endline, knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) surveys and other hygiene-related assessments as required.
• Identify the specific hygiene needs of women, children, older people, persons with disabilities and other groups facing additional barriers.
• Consult affected populations to understand their preferred communication channels, local beliefs and perceptions concerning hygiene practices.
• Document community concerns, feedback and recommendations arising from hygiene promotion activities.
• Share assessment findings with the WASH team and relevant programme personnel to inform activity planning and adaptation.
• Ensure that information collection is conducted respectfully, with appropriate consent and in accordance with organizational data protection procedures.
• Use assessment findings to recommend targeted hygiene promotion interventions based on identified risks and community priorities.

Training and Support to Community Volunteers:

• Identify, orient and support community hygiene promoters and volunteers in collaboration with community leaders and programme teams.
• Conduct training sessions on hygiene promotion techniques, key hygiene messages, interpersonal communication and community mobilization.
• Explain the objectives, expected outputs and reporting requirements of hygiene promotion activities to assigned volunteers.
• Provide ongoing mentoring and supportive supervision to strengthen the quality and consistency of community-level hygiene activities.
• Ensure that volunteers use approved hygiene promotion materials and communicate accurate, appropriate and consistent messages.
• Monitor volunteer participation, activity completion and adherence to organizational policies and safeguarding standards.
• Maintain records of volunteer orientation, training attendance, assigned responsibilities and field activities.
• Identify capacity gaps and recommend additional coaching or refresher training as needed.