About Meds & Food for Kids

Haiti has endured centuries of political unrest, foreign occupations, and natural disasters - all of which have left the country weakened and vulnerable. Malnutrition in Haiti is the result of many factors, including endemic poverty brought on by the nearly 80% unemployment rate and non-modern agricultural practices that prevent farmers from growing enough nutritious food to feed their families.

One in ten children in Haiti is acutely malnourished and one in five is underweight. One in 14 will die before reaching the age of 5. More than 9 million people live in Haiti; over a third of them are under age 14. With an average household income of around $400 a year, 76% of Haitians live on less than $2 per day.

Meds & Food for Kids (MFK) is a not-for-profit manufacturer of enriched, energy-dense peanut-based nutritional foods used for the treatment of malnutrition in Haiti. Currently, the primary products are Ready-to-Use Therapeutic (RUTF) and Supplementary (RUSF) foods used by UNICEF, the World Food Programme and other institutional care providers.

In July 2012, MFK through its partnership with LGT Venture Philanthropy (Liechtenstein), and Nutriset (France), the world's leading producer of these products, completed the construction of a 18,000 sq ft showcase facility in Cap Haitian (Haiti's second largest city) that incorporates new production machinery, food safety processes and increased production. MFK aims to combat malnutrition while creating economic development opportunities by employing local people and procuring locally sourced materials when possible, including processing local peanuts.

Since 2008, MFK's programs with donor organizations, NGOs, medical missions and healthcare providers has saved the lives of more than 50,000 of Haiti's most malnourished children. In 2013, MFK seeks to double production and explore new products, in partnership with Haiti's Ministry of Health to save more than 80,000 lives.

Tasks and expected output

The MFK graduate fellow will be expected to identify problems, suggest, and implement changes that adhere to international standards in a suboptimal environment.

Quality Management

Work with MFK's Quality Assurance Manager and Haitian Quality Control Supervisor to maintain the quality and safety of MFK's finished products
Implement, supervise, and maintain MFK's Quality Management System (QMS)
Understand and carry out the following international standards related to the production of safe foods:
HACCP;
ISO 22000;
Codex Alimentarius
Be aware of current and evolving RUTF standards
Assist in the management of the food safety laboratory

All fellows must be prepared to mentor, document, and transmit essential knowledge and experience to local staff and partners

Requirements

Expertise

§ Bachelors degree or higher in food science, food safety, microbiology, chemistry, or related field
§ Practical experience in field of study
§ Excellent academic and extracurricular record
§ Strong social and organizational skills

Languages

§ English
§ French or Haitian Creole strongly preferred

Good to know

Personal or professional experience in the developing world, strong cross cultural communication skills, self-directed and exceptionally motivated

he MFK Fellowship offers the opportunity to gain first-hand experience working in international development for an exciting young social enterprise. Fellows spend one year in Cap Haitien, Haiti, working as liaisons between MFK's US-based staff and the organization's majority Haitian staff. During their year in Haiti, Fellows will be exposed to all activities related to the production and distribution of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), an energy-dense fortified paste that has become the gold standard for treating childhood malnutrition.

While the Cap Haitien area is relatively quiet and peaceful, it is still underdeveloped. This experience is not for the faint of heart. It will challenge the Fellow in all regards: emotionally, socially, professionally, and more. The fellowship is challenging, but it is also rewarding. Fellows will be vital, indispensable members of the MFK team in its quest to make life-saving RUTF available to all those who need it. Fellows will also live with other permanent and temporary MFK staff in an apartment, and be expected to contribute to communal chores and activities (marketing, cooking, cleaning, trips to the beach, etc.).

Fellowship Application

A. PERSONAL DETAILS

First name:      

Date of birth:    /    /     

Example: MM/DD/YYYY

Last Name:      

Gender:

CURRENT ADDRESS

PERMANENT ADDRESS

Street:      

Street:      

City:      

City:      

State:      

State:      

Country:      

Country:      

Telephone #:     

Telephone #:     

E-mail Address:      

Is this a family member's address?

Yes No

Are you a US citizen? Yes No

If not, or you are a dual citizen, please list the other countries in which you have citizenship:

          Have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanour? Yes No

B. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

A major component of the Fellowship is cultural and language immersion. Your ability to communicate in Haitian Creole will be vital to your success and overall experience in Haiti. Consequently, we require a commitment from applicants to pursue independent study of Haitian Creole in the time leading up to their arrival in Haiti. MFK will provide Creole resources.

Do you commit to pursuing an independent study of Haitian Creole in the two months leading up to your arrival in Haiti?

Yes, I am able to pursue an independent study of Haitian Creole next semester.

No, I am not able to carry out this requirement of the fellowship.

C. ESSAYS

How does this fellowship fit into your future plans? (775 char. max)

    Please discuss your previous international work/travel experience, if any. (775 char. max)      Please discuss an instance in which you demonstrated exceptional problem solving skills. (775 char. max)      

Please state your native language and elaborate on any experience communicating in other languages. (775 char. max)

Please discuss an instance in which you were faced with a situation where things did not go as planned, your course of action, and the outcome. (775 char. max)

D. REFERENCES

Please include three non-peer references, only one of which should be academic.

Name:      

E-mail address:      

Telephone #:     

Relationship to this individual:      

(i.e. Undergraduate advisor)

Name:      

E-mail address:      

Telephone #:     

Relationship to this individual:      

Name:      

E-mail address:      

Telephone #:     

Relationship to this individual:      

E. RÉSUMÉ

Please attach a résumé or CV to your application.

MFK Contact