Star Waves Consultancy Services Company (SWCSC) is a research, development, and consulting organization with an extensive operational footprint across Afghanistan. SWCSC works at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, development programming, and peacebuilding, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based approaches, ethical engagement, and community-led solutions. Through its work in health, nutrition, food security, livelihoods, and capacity building, SWCSC supports vulnerable populations—particularly women, adolescents, and youth—by strengthening skills, knowledge, and local systems.

Star Waves Consultancy Services Company (SWCSC) is seeking to recruit twenty qualified Nutrition Trainers (10 female, 10 male) on a short-term consultancy basis to deliver community-level, hands-on vocational nutrition training under a nutrition-focused livelihoods intervention aligned with the First Foods Initiative.

The Nutrition Trainers will be responsible for delivering 15-20 consecutive days of structured training in assigned districts across multiple provinces, focusing on nutrition-sensitive food preparation, food safety and hygiene, small-scale food processing, kitchen gardening, and basic agri-food livelihood practices. Trainings will emphasize practical skill development, cultural relevance, and adaptability for low-literacy audiences, particularly women, adolescent girls, boys, and youth.

Trainers will integrate basic business and market concepts relevant to food-based micro-enterprises and support the application of skills for household nutrition improvement and income generation. The role requires close coordination with SWCSC field teams, maintenance of basic training documentation, and strict adherence to safeguarding and ethical standards.

The assignment is field-based and will be implemented in seven districts: Qaysar (Faryab), Pasaband (Ghor), Mohammad Agha (Logar), Lalpur and Dara-e-Nur (Nangarhar), Jani Khel (Paktika), and Qalat (Zabul). Trainers must be willing and able to travel to provinces and districts as assigned. The total duration of the consultancy is 15–25 working days.

Roles and responsibilities

• Work under the overall supervision of the Star Waves’ Project Manager or designated Team Leader, in close coordination with SWCSC technical staff and partner organizations.
• Deliver vocational nutrition training activities within the assigned district in line with the approved project plan.
• Be assigned to one (1) district only and deliver 15-20 consecutive days of training in accordance with the approved training schedule.
• Conduct hands-on, competency-based training sessions focusing on food preparation and cooking techniques, with emphasis on nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate foods.
• Provide practical guidance on food hygiene, sanitation, proper storage, and food safety principles, including the prevention of cross-contamination and foodborne health risks.
• Introduce small-scale food processing and preservation techniques suitable for household and community-level application.
• Support learning on kitchen gardening and agri-food livelihood practices, linking nutrition with sustainable food production and household food security.
• Demonstrate, where relevant, the use of appropriate digital tools or platforms to support training delivery, follow-up, monitoring, and promotion of optimal nutrition practices.
• Integrate basic livelihood and business concepts into training sessions, including simple costing, pricing, and awareness of local market opportunities for food-related micro-enterprises, in line with the First Foods Initiative’s theory of change.
• Maintain basic training documentation, including attendance records and brief session summaries.
• Provide regular inputs and feedback to Star Waves’ field staff to support training implementation, reporting, and quality assurance.

Training Methodology and Approach

The training approach must be highly participatory, inclusive, and adapted to community realities. Trainers are expected to tailor their delivery to low-literacy audiences through the use of demonstrations, visual aids, group exercises, and learning-by-doing techniques rather than purely theoretical instruction. The methodology should respect local food practices, sociocultural norms, and gender dynamics, ensuring that women and adolescent girls are able to participate safely and meaningfully.

Trainers will conduct sessions in relevant local languages and create an environment that is respectful, supportive, and conducive to learning. Particular emphasis should be placed on practical skill acquisition, confidence building, and the direct applicability of skills in daily life or small income-generating activities.

Coordination, Reporting, and Communication

Nutrition Trainers will coordinate closely with Star Waves’ field staff and project management to ensure smooth implementation of training activities. They will be required to maintain basic training records, including attendance lists and session summaries, and to provide brief progress updates as requested. Trainers may also contribute inputs to training implementation reports and lessons learned documentation.

Duration of the Assignment

The assignment will cover between 15-25 working days within the overall project timeline. The exact sequencing of training days and locations will be determined by SWCSC based on the approved implementation plan and field conditions.

• Hold, at minimum, a Master’s degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Food Science, Food Technology, Agriculture, Agri-food Systems, Livelihoods, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrate solid professional experience in delivering hands-on vocational training related to food preparation, food safety, food processing, kitchen gardening, or nutrition-sensitive livelihoods.
• Have proven experience working with women, adolescents, and youth in community-based or non-formal education settings.
• Show the ability to adapt training content for low-literacy audiences, using practical, participatory, and context-appropriate methods.
• Possess familiarity with local food practices and sociocultural contexts, which is considered a strong asset.
• Demonstrate the ability to introduce basic business and market concepts relevant to food-related micro-enterprises.
• Exhibit strong proficiency in relevant local languages to ensure effective communication and engagement in community settings.
• Hold, at minimum, a Master’s degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Food Science, Food Technology, Agriculture, Agri-food Systems, Livelihoods, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrate solid professional experience in delivering hands-on vocational training related to food preparation, food safety, food processing, kitchen gardening, or nutrition-sensitive livelihoods.
• Have proven experience working with women, adolescents, and youth in community-based or non-formal education settings.
• Show the ability to adapt training content for low-literacy audiences, using practical, participatory, and context-appropriate methods.
• Possess familiarity with local food practices and sociocultural contexts, which is considered a strong asset.
• Demonstrate the ability to introduce basic business and market concepts relevant to food-related micro-enterprises.
• Exhibit strong proficiency in relevant local languages to ensure effective communication and engagement in community settings.

Interested and qualified candidates are required to send their resumes by filling the following form: https://ee.kobotoolbox.org/x/J9B34CGF

Applications must be submitted no later than 20 January 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For any questions or requests for clarification regarding this ToR, interested applicants may submit their inquiries by email to bd.swcsc@gmail.com. All inquiries must be received prior to the application deadline. Queries submitted after the deadline may not be considered.