Supporting vaccine rollout and countering misinformation in Indonesia
Since the outbreak nearly two years ago, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has been supporting the Government of Indonesia in its efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus swept through the archipelago, UNICEF ramped up its efforts, and that included bringing in thirteen UN Volunteers to support the COVID-19 response. Dewi, Bella and Kristian are among those who volunteered to use their expertise to help local communities.
Kristian Yudhianto serves in Indonesia's second-largest city, Surabaya, in East Java. As a Health Officer, his primary responsibility is to support the COVID-19 vaccination programme in the city and across eight districts. He works with other public health professionals to carefully analyze immunization data and help with logistical planning and vaccine readiness assessments.
Serving alongside the most dedicated, experienced and grounded practitioners on the ground
Malou Eudela (Philippines) was one of the over 20 national UN Volunteers deployed in the Asia Pacific region through the Special Voluntary Fund of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme to support COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. Online volunteer Anitha Murthy was in conversation with Malou about her UN Volunteer journey.
Malou had worked earlier as a consultant for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and UN Development Programme (UNDP), and as a staff member in UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), all in the Philippines. She is now a UN Volunteer Coordination Assistant in the Philippines.
Addressing the challenges COVID-19 brought to education systems and facilities in Indonesia
When the COVID-19 pandemic started, UN Volunteer Clarissa Jazzlyne Gunawan was two months into working with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Indonesia as an intern. She later joined the team as a national UN Volunteer Education Officer, focusing on foundational skills. Jazzlyne reflects on the work she has carried out so far and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I started my assignment in UNICEF’s Social Policy Cluster, and as the pandemic hit, I took on an additional role supporting their Education Cluster in their COVID-19 response team. My work focused on compiling evidence on the severity of the pandemic’s impact on schools and learning in Indonesia’s rural and remote areas and providing feedback to inform the Ministry of Education’s COVID-19 response plan.