EFL Educator
Cipanas, West Java. INDONESIA
AVI has negotiated this assignment in good faith with the Host Organisation, and the information contained was
correct at the time of acceptance of the request. However, while AVI takes responsibility for matters under our
direct control, all assignments and arrangements are subject to change due to the inherent low levels of
predictability in developing country environments. This assignment may be amended or withdrawn to reflect
changes in circumstances.
General Details
Assignment Title
EFL Educator
Host Organisation
The Learning Farm (TLF)
Website of Host Organisation
www.thelearningfarm.com
Duration of Assignment
13 months
Start Date
06 June 2016
Pre-departure Briefing Date
30 March 2016
AVI Assignment Code
10532571
Australian Partner Organisation
N/A
Host Organisation Overview
The Learning Farm (TLF) was established in 2005 by the Boston-based World Education/WE
(www.worlded.org) to address the lack of skills, opportunities, and hope amongst vulnerable
Indonesian youth. The Learning Farm was officially launched as the Karang Widya Foundation on
October 5, 2005.
The Learning Farm’s goal is to enable youth to become economically self-sufficient, capable, and
productive members of their communities through participation in a 100-days residential training
program where they learn about organic farming, enterprise development, and a number of other
The Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program is an
Australian Government initiative. This assignment has been developed by Australian
Volunteers International, a delivery partner for the AVID program.
valuable life skills. Through organic farming, TLF is able to transform participants’ values, outlook, and
expectations of self and community and to equip them with tangible, marketable skills whilst working
and participating in a purposeful, communal environment.
With 8 full time and 6 support staff the organisation:
• Provides residential training to vulnerable youth in Organic Farming and an additional 3 pillars
curriculum: Communication, Computers, Healthy Body & Mind;
• Distributes Organic Vegetable to e-customers & selected restaurant/supermarket;
• Provides guidance to Alumni on employment opportunities and enterprise development.
Assignment Overview
This position is important to assist in the implementation and development of English Language
programs for the vulnerable youth. The English language curriculum has been a core activity of The
Learning Farm and the ability to communicate in English gives the youth an advantage in a very
competitive job market.
The organisations staffs also needs to improve their English Language through formal lessons and
informal support and mentoring. This need is twofold. Firstly, to better enable staff to implement English
Language program and secondly, to improve the quality of English Language media, publications and
reports as the organisation promotes its work to an International audience.
Whilst the required skills do exist in Indonesia it is hard for the organisation to access these skills due
to cost and the location of the organisation which many skilled Indonesians would consider too far from
major metropolitan areas.
The Learning Farm had several AVI volunteers working in a number of roles since 2011.
Although this is an education based assignment the role aligns with the Country Strategy to increase
the capacity of communities to plan, initiate, and manage social, healthy and sustainable development
initiatives
Assignment Objectives
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Implement and continuously develop the current 100 day EFL curriculum for vulnerable youth
Develop English language skills of organisational staff and established a standard English
language Curricular guide/syllabus for the Staff;
The Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program is an
Australian Government initiative. This assignment has been developed by Australian
Volunteers International, a delivery partner for the AVID program.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Volunteer
In consultation with their line manager and relevant stakeholders, volunteers complete a work plan in
the first three months of their assignment. The duties below are an indication of the type of work that
may be involved in meeting the Assignment Objectives:
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Review current English language programs
Implement an EFL Teaching program specifically tailored to vulnerable youth
Carry out evaluations and recommend improvements to existing EFL programs
Provide English language staff and teacher training
Provide English language media editing/translation support as required (Media and
Documents);
Assist with International Promotion as required.
Assignment Information
Line Manager
Staff Supervision
Executive Director
Whilst the volunteer will not directly manage or supervise any staff, the
volunteer will have opportunities to work with all staff members and play
a role in the overall development of programs and the organisation.
Hours & Days of Employment
From 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday
The expectation is that the volunteer will work the equivalent of a 5 day week to a maximum of 40
hours per week
Leave Entitlements
Same conditions and terms as local colleagues apply, including national holidays. However, as a
minimum, volunteers will accrue 1 weeks leave for each 3 months of work.
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Other Conditions
Whilst the volunteer will not be expected to work additional hours they will have to flexible in terms of
the timing of their work hours due to the availability of staff and other planned activities at the Learning
Farm.
The Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program is an
Australian Government initiative. This assignment has been developed by Australian
Volunteers International, a delivery partner for the AVID program.
Language Skills and Level Required
Bahasa Indonesia and Sundanese are the language predominantly used with the office. English will be
used with external stakeholders and Networks.
An English speaker will carry out their work by:
Working through colleagues who speak English and developing own Bahasa Indonesia skills.
The level of language competency in local language that a Volunteer will need to carry out this
assignment is: low, polite social interaction & demonstrated attempt to learn.
Language Support
AVI provides language support during the in-country orientation period. Most often additional resources
for further development later in the assignment will be available if required.
Living as a Volunteer
The location is rural. Cianjur has population of about 100,.000.This is primarily an agriculture region
located between the two large cities, Bandung (capital of West Java province) and Jakarta (capital of
Indonesia).
Cipanas offers a fresh air environment with temperatures between 15 to 28 Celsius degrees.
The local social and political situation is stable. Mostly local people are welcoming and friendly to
visitors.
People awareness and discipline in maintaining a clean environmental is low. It may take some getting
used to for someone who is keen on these issues. In other words: trash is found everywhere.
As a mountain resort area the area is scenic and attracts many visitors, especially on weekends.
Tourism activities include the mountain hikes, Cibodas Botanical Garden, waterfalls, colourful lakes,
paragliding, camping grounds, bicycling routes, off-road sport. Mostly foreign tourists are backpackers.
As long as the volunteer respects the local norms (primarily a conservative Muslim community) and
make an effort to integrate with neighbours and the local community there are no specific security
considerations that may impact upon the volunteer’s daily life.
The workplace is located not far from a major road that links the cities of Bogor and Bandung via the
popular weekend mountain destination of Puncak. Because of this there are frequent local minivans
and buses running in both directions.
The volunteer should be aware that the standards of comfort and safety on public transport will be
significantly lower than would be expected in Australia.
Many volunteers based in Cipanas choose to purchase a motorcycle. This is a personal choice rather
The Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program is an
Australian Government initiative. This assignment has been developed by Australian
Volunteers International, a delivery partner for the AVID program.
than an absolute necessity. A good second-hand motorcycle could be purchased for between IDR 8-10
million or AUD 800-1000 and sold at the end of the assignment for a similar amount.
Allowances & Support
These allowance levels are based on the Cost of Living in country. They will be reviewed periodically
and may increase or decrease. Volunteers will be given notice of any change to the allowance level.
Living Allowance
Accommodation Allowance
AUD 700.00 per month
AUD 300.00 per month
Housing
The volunteer will need to find their own accommodation once they have arrived at assignment. A
range of accommodation is available in the area but the volunteer will need to rely on the support of the
Host Organisation and previous volunteers in the area to identify appropriate accommodation.
The volunteer should expect to have basic accommodation which may not have many of the electrical
appliances (white good) which they may be used to in Australia
Other Allowances & Support
All AVID Volunteers receive the following:
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Pre-departure Briefing in Melbourne
In-country Orientation on arrival
Pre-departure vaccination expenses
Visa expenses
Pastoral care, assignment monitoring and security guidance
Return airfare to country of assignment
Psychological and medical advice and support services
Re-entry support services
Settling in allowance (assignments longer than 6 months)
Re-settlement allowance (assignments longer than 6 months)
The Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program is an
Australian Government initiative. This assignment has been developed by Australian
Volunteers International, a delivery partner for the AVID program.
Preparing Your Application
Personal Circumstances Constraints
We are NOT able to accept applications from people with the following personal circumstances due to
security, cultural, legal or visa restrictions in this location.
These could include:
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Applicants with criminal offences
Our agreement with the Indonesian Government stipulates the following:
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volunteers must hold Australian citizenship
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volunteers must be between 21 and 70 years of age
Selection Criteria
Please begin by writing your responses to the following three questions, in a document headed Response to Selection Criteria:
a. Why do I feel that volunteering overseas is the right thing for me to be doing at this time in my life?
(up to half a page)
b. What are the biggest personal adjustments I’m likely to have to make to be accepted as a useful
colleague and engaged community member in this assignment? (up to half a page)
c. How do I match the Essential Skills & Experience: Write a brief summary of your most relevant
experiences, results and achievements responding to each criteria in the Essential Skills & Experience
section of the Assignment Description.
To find out more details about preparing your application, please visit:
http://www.australianvolunteers.com/volunteer/application-process/
To find out more details about the personal competencies required to be a volunteer, please visit:
http://australianvolunteers.com/volunteer/have-you-got-what-it-takes/
Qualifications, Essential Skills & Experience
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Relevant tertiary, professional or technical qualifications and/or certification
Demonstrated results in improving English language skills of non-native speakers through
planned formal and informal programs based on socio-cultural contexts;
Applied knowledge in curriculum development for participatory learning, preferably for students
with similar needs to at-risk male youth with limited formal schooling;
Proven ability to develop and/or source resources to support program/curriculum development;
The Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program is an
Australian Government initiative. This assignment has been developed by Australian
Volunteers International, a delivery partner for the AVID program.
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Previous experience in working alongside and building the skills of others through formal
and/or informal training and coaching
Previous experience in consulting with stakeholders and facilitating the work of others
to achieve an agreed outcome
Desirable Skills & Experience
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Existing Indonesian language skills
Ability to ride a motorcycle/scooter
Knowledge of or interest in organic farming
How to Apply
All applications must be submitted online. If you haven’t already done so, you will need to register on
our website prior to applying.
Once completed, please visit www.australianvolunteers.com, log in, select the assignment you are
interested in and follow the prompts at the end of the page.
The Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program is an
Australian Government initiative. This assignment has been developed by Australian
Volunteers International, a delivery partner for the AVID program.