The Youth Advocates programme aims to give young people, including those with disabilities, a one-year professional experience through a UN Volunteer assignment with UNICEF to protect children’s rights. 

In Bunia, Ituri Province, UN Volunteer Ounteni Souobou is a Child Protection Officer (Database and Reporting) with MONUSCO. He is from Burkina Faso. Ounteni's work focuses on documenting violations regarding children's rights, abductions and sexual violence, under the United Nations Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism. Each verified case feeds into national reports used by MONUSCO and UNICEF to target high-risk zones and guide advocacy.

Sihyun's volunteer journey began after earning a degree in Science Education in the Republic of Korea. She volunteered through a KOICA project at a youth center in Takeo, Cambodia. Witnessing the health gaps faced by young people inspired her to pursue a Master of Public Health in the United Kingdom. Immediately after graduating, she joined the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) MENA Regional Office in Amman as a UN Volunteer Health Officer.

One hot afternoon in Harare, in the course of my work, I sat down with Debbie Chinochema, a young community member and beneficiary of UNICEF programmes in Zimbabwe. She looked me in the eye, smiled shyly, and shared her story with me. Debbie lives with HIV. But more than that, she’s a fighter. A volunteer. A voice.

When I first arrived in Poland, I felt alone, as if I had stepped into a world where I didn’t belong. The language barrier made everything more difficult—making friends, understanding lessons, and even simple conversations. I was afraid to speak, afraid people would laugh at my mistakes. But when I finally worked up the courage, I was met with kindness. People didn’t mock me; they encouraged me. This gave me the motivation to keep learning, to keep trying, and to believe that I could find my place in this new world. 

Before volunteering with the UN, Pavlo Tishkov crunched numbers at the National Bank of Ukraine. But when war broke out, spreadsheets weren’t enough—he wanted to make a real difference.

As a Knowledge Management and Monitoring Officer, I work behind the scenes to make sure our programmes across 14 island nations that are part of UNICEF’s Pacific Multi-Country Office are smarter, faster, and more impactful. I lead efforts to simplify how we collect, share, and use information across the region.

Under UNICEF’s Adolescent Participation, Skills, and Employability Section, I oversee disability inclusion efforts such as staff awareness programmes and accessibility audits on reporting. I use simple and practical techniques such as pair walk events to highlight accessibility challenges and the need for more inclusive spaces under UNICEF's Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy.

Before Alec Mkwamba joined the Ministry of Health in São Tomé and Príncipe, immunization records existed only on paper. Lost vaccine cards meant missed doses, leaving many children unprotected. As an Epidemiologist and Project Manager with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Alec led efforts to transition the health information system to digital platforms, certifying that the children’s vaccination histories were accessible no matter where they received care.

I remember the day vividly—my father had just returned from one of his work trips. As he unpacked his bag, he handed me a small, suitcase-like package. My eyes lit up; I loved puzzles, but this one was different. It wasn’t the usual puzzle with Disney princesses or cartoon characters I was used to. Instead, it was made of 20 cubes, each face contributing to six unique puzzles.