Afghan Fathers Group Facilitator (Consultant)

Global Communities is looking for a facilitator to pilot a monthly Afghan Fathers Group in San Diego County. This group is a relaxed coffee gathering for Afghan dads. Fathers will come together to talk learn from each other and discuss family life fatherhood and raising children in the United States while honoring Afghan culture and values. This is a paid consultant role. This role includes both learning and teaching. You do not need formal training in fatherhood programs. We will provide training support and mentorship to help you succeed.

What the role includes:

• Leading one Afghan fathers coffee gathering each month
• Introducing simple educational topics that help fathers support healthy families and children
• Guiding conversations about parenting relationships and life in the U.S.
• Sharing ideas and listening to other fathers
• Working with Global Communities staff
• Attending paid training and mentorship sessions

We are looking for someone who:

• Is part of the Afghan community
• Is respected and trusted by other Afghan men
• Speaks Dari and/or Pashto
• Is comfortable leading group conversations
• Is open to learning new skills and working with a mentor
• Cares about families fathers and children

Light coffee and snacks will be provided for each group.

If you are interested or would like to learn more please contact Lisa Bain at Global Communities Healthy Start:

Contract content draft

Background Statement

Global Communities Healthy Start program serves pregnant and postpartum families with the goal of improving maternal and infant health outcomes strengthening families and reducing disparities. As part of this work the program provides care coordination and case management services to dozens of Afghan women and families who have resettled in the United States following displacement from Afghanistan.

Fathers play a critical role in family stability maternal well-being and healthy child development. However Afghan fathers often face unique challenges after resettlement including navigating unfamiliar health education and social service systems; reconciling traditional cultural and religious values with U.S. expectations; and adjusting to new family roles employment pressures and parenting norms. These challenges are compounded by language barriers trauma loss and social isolation.

Healthy Start is required to implement group-based activities and seeks to intentionally engage Afghan fathers in a culturally responsive strengths-based manner. To support this goal Global Communities plans to launch a monthly Afghan Fathers Groupfacilitated by a trusted member of the Afghan community. The group will provide a welcoming informal space for fathers to connect with one another build parenting and coparenting skills and engage in guided discussions relevant to fatherhood family health and life in the United States.

Group sessions will be grounded in Fathering in 15 an interactive curriculum designed to build practical fathering skills through short engaging learning segments. Topics will be adapted to reflect the lived experiences of Afghan fathers and will intentionally address differences between parenting expectations in the U.S. and in Afghanistan particularly as they relate to child discipline parental roles communication and supporting mothers access to medical and mental health care. The Facilitator may incur and invoice for light refreshment expenses to support Afghan Fathers Group sessions. Expenses must be reasonable and directly related to group activities.

Scope of Work

1. Role and Responsibilities

The Facilitator will be responsible for planning leading and documenting a monthly Afghan Fathers Group in collaboration with Global Communities Healthy Start staff. Responsibilities include:

• Serving as the primary facilitator for group sessions creating a respectful inclusive and culturally grounded environment.
• Acting as a cultural bridge between Afghan fathers and U.S. health and social systems while honoring Afghan traditions and values.
• Collaborating with Healthy Start staff through regular check-ins and ongoing communication.

2. Group Structure and Content

• Frequency: One (1) group session per month
• Format: Informal coffee date style gathering with light refreshments
• Duration: Approximately 6090 minutes per session
• Language: Dari and/or Pashto (with English as needed)
• Each session will include:

3. Curriculum Topics

The Facilitator will draw from the Fathering in 15 curriculum selecting topics based on group interest and relevance. Topics may include but are not limited to:

• Family History and Identity
• Being a Man and a Father
• Handling Emotions Grief and Loss
• Fathers Physical and Mental Health
• Relationships with Mothers and CoParenting
• Communication and Conflict Resolution
• Fathering Skills and Child Development
• Child Discipline and Guidance
• WorkFamily Balance
• Managing Money and Financial Stress

Cultural Adaptation:
For this group the Facilitator will intentionally engage fathers in discussion about differences between parenting and family expectations in Afghanistan and in the United States including:

• Norms around child discipline and U.S. laws and expectations
• Fathers roles in supporting maternal health and well-being
• Navigating prenatal postpartum and pediatric care
• Understanding that families may request female health providers while also recognizing situations where male providers may be necessary to ensure timely care
• Shared decision-making within families in a U.S. context

4. Outreach and Engagement

The Facilitator will:

• Encourage consistent attendance and relationship-building among participants
• Work with Healthy Start staff to promote the group through trusted community networks
• Help create a welcoming environment that respects religious practices family obligations and work schedules

5. Data Collection and Documentation

To support program accountability and reporting requirements the Facilitator will:

• Collect participant signin and feedback information at each session including required demographic data as outlined by Healthy Start
• Document for each session:
  • Date and location
  • Number of attendees
  • Topic(s) covered
• Submit attendance and session documentation to Global Communities in a timely manner using provided templates and guidance

6. CheckIns and Communication

7. Compensation and Reimbursements

• The Facilitator will be compensated for:
  • Group facilitation time
  • Preparation coordination and outreach
  • Monthly checkins
  • Training and mentorship activities
• Funds will also be provided or reimbursed for light coffee and snacks for participants in accordance with Global Communities policies.

8. Desired Qualifications

• Member of the Afghan community with strong community trust and relationships
• Experience facilitating groups leading discussions or providing community education
• Familiarity with Afghan cultural and religious values related to family and parenting
• Ability to facilitate respectful dialogue around sensitive topics
• Fluency in Dari and/or Pashto preferred
• Commitment to confidentiality professionalism and collaboration

Deliverables

The Facilitator shall provide the following services and deliverables during the contract period in accordance with Global Communities Healthy Start program requirements.