EXTERNAL INTERPRETER
LESVOS
Do you have experience with interpreting and can you translate consultations between clients and professionals? Then this vacancy might be something for you.
Where will you work?
On Lesvos, Boat Refugee Foundation works with a team of interpreters who are all a part of the community in the camp. They support both the medical and the psychosocial programmes. They interpret the consultations from their language such as Amharic, Somali, French, Arabic (Fosha, Sudanese, Yemeni, or the Levantine dialect is preferred), or Farsi to English.
To lighten the workload on our interpreting team, we are looking for external interpreters who can help to interpret MHPSS consultations. Most of the people who live in the camp do not speak English. Therefore, our interpreting team is an essential part of our program.
What will you do?
Your main activity will be your presence as an interpreter in medical and psychosocial consultations. As an interpreter, you’ll function as a bridge between the professional and the client. This is both during consultations and outside the clinic in the triage area where people ask to see a doctor.
The psychological and medical consultations might cover difficult subjects and be emotionally strenuous for you as an interpreter. Therefore, we ask for a high level of sensitivity, professionality, and stability from your side.
Topics that can be discussed can include:
- Suicidality;
- SGBV (Sexual and Gender Based Violence), including rape and genital mutilation;
- Self-harm;
- Witnessing violence;
- Experiencing violence.
We organise training for the community as well which you may be asked to help with, and they can take place during office hours or in the evening.
Your working hours are flexible. Shifts can range from office hours, 17:00 to 21:00 or midnight, and two days in the week from 10:00-14:00.
What do we expect from you?
- You are available for 6 weeks;
- You preferably have a driver's licence and can drive a gear stick;
- You are fluent in Amharic, Somali, French, Lingala, Farsi or Arabic (Fosha, Sudanese, Yemeni, or the Levantine dialect is preferred). We mostly see patients who speak Farsi or Arabic;
- You will work with volunteers from different nationalities. Therefore, we ask that you speak English at least at the level of B1 or higher;
- You are culturally sensitive;
- You have experience with interpreting. It is an advantage to have experience interpreting psychosocial and medical consults;
- You have experience working in an international environment and can work well with people from different cultural backgrounds;
- You are sociable and have strong communication skills;
- A psychosocial background is not required, but it is a big advantage;
- You can recognize the patients' personal space and boundaries. You are not afraid to address difficult issues;
- You interpret accurately and professionally. Your interpretation is complete and exhaustive without leaving information out. You are aware that your job is to interpret the entire message and not to take your own decisions in this respect;
- You are stable and balanced, and you are emotionally and physically healthy;
- You will be a volunteer in our international team but also a part of the interpreter team who lives in the context.
Are you interested?
Do you recognise yourself in the above profile and would like to volunteer with us? Then apply using the form below. Note: please submit your CV in English. We look forward to your response!
Apply now
Please apply using the form below. We look forward to your response!
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