Program and Communications Fellow

Job Description

WE ARE PURPOSEFUL TERMS OF REFERENCE FELLOWSHIP 

Type of Fellowship: Program and Communications Fellow

Reporting Lines: Program Coordinator

Contract: Six months

Location: Freetown with possible provincial Field Visits

WHO WE ARE:

Purposeful is an Africa-rooted global hub for girls’ activism. For millennia, girls have played a critical role in struggles for freedom and liberation. From Africa’s anti-colonial movements to the Arab Spring to climate justice organizing and everything in between – their resistance has always sparked and sustained transformational change. And yet, too often girls are separated and sidelined from resources and shut out from decision-making spaces, their power deliberately obscured and hidden from view. Centering the political power of young feminists across the world, we work so that girls and their allies have access to the resources, networks and platforms they need to power their activism and remake the world.

As an Africa-rooted, global hub for girl activists, Purposeful works to shift the allocation of resources, policies and programmatic practices with and for girls and young feminists across the world. This includes re-distributing resources in highly flexible and innovative ways, including to girls shut out from traditional banking infrastructure. We leverage learnings from our own practice to support others to move from protectionist to power-building approaches that promote the collective liberation of girls. Working in partnership with civil society and development communities, we hold learning space, convene practitioners, build national coalitions and co-create collective advocacy voice. Across all that we do, we work to make girls’ political power visible so that their organising and activism is resourced in healthy and sustainable ways for the long term.

WHAT IS WE ARE PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP

The Purposeful Fellowship is a paid work program that provides practical work experience in a dynamic work environment, interaction with our amazing partners, including girls across the country, and an opportunity to be part of a viable movement for change. It is designed by Purposeful for young graduates and non-graduates with outstanding lived experiences to gain work experience for three to six months for a minimum of 28 hours a week.

WHY WE ARE PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP

Purposeful also recognizes the lived experiences of non-graduates and how that ties into the work we do. Thus, we encourage young women with outstanding experiences to apply for a fellowship. Recent graduates i.e., who have graduated within a year, or who are about to graduate (completing their final requirements) can also apply for this fellowship with Purposeful. The duration of the Purposeful fellowship is six months.

CONTEXT OF THE FELLOWSHIP

We Are Purposeful is looking for a dedicated and dynamic young graduate who is passionate about changing the game for girls to join our fifth (5th) Cohort of Purposeful Fellows in the Girls New Movement Building Hub in Freetown.  The Fellow will work closely with the Program Coordinator. 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF  THE PROGRAMS AND COMMUNICATION  FELLOW

• Support the coordination and implementation of programme activities, events, and training.
• Support with budgets and logistics arrangements (venue booking, participant coordination, materials preparation, etc.) for different events.
• Draft meeting notes, activity summaries, and contribute to monthly progress reports.
• Support program officers with partner follow-ups and administrative tasks.
• Participate in community engagements or field visits when required.

• Support media outreach: arrange media contacts, press briefings, and interviews, provide talking points and other materials as needed for senior staff; respond to media inquiries quickly and effectively.

• Support in coordinating the production of a range of information products, including audio/visual communications, when needed to achieve specific organisational and project goals.

• Support the documentation of program activities through photos, videos, and written reports.
• Support in developing visual materials such as infographics, short videos, and social media posts.
• Support other team members and project leads to carry out advocacy activities. 

EDUCATION AND SKILLS 

• A Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Gender, Communication or an equivalent qualification in a related field of study or lived experience. 

• You must be a good writer – someone who understands how to frame a message in a clear, concise, and compelling way.

• You must also be comfortable using basic computing packages and sending out emails.

• Be a team player. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
• You must have a passion for working with girls and young women

APPLICATION PROCESS   

To apply for the We Are Purposeful Fellowship, please complete the online application form using this link: We Are Purposeful Fellowship Application Form

As part of your application, you will be asked to:

• Upload a short video (maximum 2 minutes) answering the question: “What did you study in university and why? And how will you apply your learning in this role?”
• Upload your most recent CV.

Application Deadline: 14th November 2025