Child Protection and Education in Emergencies Assistant

Volunteering Teaching & Training Crisis & Emergency Response Security

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

Since 2018, UNICEF initiated its interventions in Roraima and established an Office in Boa Vista and in 2019 an Outpost in Pacaraima, border with Venezuela. Building on its development program to support Brazil's most vulnerable and disadvantaged, UNICEF focuses on ensuring access to essential services and programs in child protection, education, health/nutrition, social protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene to fully equip the public policies to assist children and adolescents on the move.

Amid the Venezuelan migratory crisis, migrant and refugee children and their families face challenges in the regularization of their immigration status, affecting their access to essential services and rights. The lack of comprehensive public policies on migration in host countries increases children's risk of discrimination, violence, family separation, xenophobia, exploitation, and abuse.

Through the Child Protection programme interventions, UNICEF provides psychosocial support activities that have reached thousands of children and specialized interventions that have identified and referred hundreds of cases of violence, abuse, and neglect to the Child Protection network. UNICEF has a dedicated response for unaccompanied and separated children in Roraima that aims to ensure timely case management, provide specialized care, and referral to the justice system for documentation, support for family reunification and alternative care.

Through the Education programme initiatives, UNICEF has also developed a Working Group co-led by UNICEF and Municipal authorities with two main strategies: (i) providing education activities that meet children’s educational needs inside and outside shelters also as a tool to facilitate their transition to formal systems in Brazil, while (ii) strengthening the capacity of the education system to include migrant and refugee children. Also, UNICEF has responded through an integrated education & protection spaces for children on the move, providing a gender and age-appropriate non-formal educational, psychosocial support activities as well as specialized child protection prevention and response interventions.

In Roraima, there are more than 90,000 indigenous people and within the migration context, Brazil continues to receive many indigenous people from Venezuela. UNICEF defined as one of its priorities, the support to civil society organizations that were already working with indigenous peoples, understanding the need for a more specific and differentiated approach.

UNICEF is working to ensure the nexus between the humanitarian response and the development work planned at the national level, particularly through UNICEF Seal.

To ensure effective coordination and oversight of Child Protection and Education activities related to the migration response, HD nexus and the work with indigenous communities, UNICEF will recruit an UN Volunteer who will be based within the Child Protection and Education teams, in UNICEF Pacaraima Outpost.

Under the direct supervision of Pacaraima Outpost Field Coordinator together with technical supervision of Boa Vista Child Protection Officer and Boa Vista Education Officer and overall guidance of Chief of Field Office in Roraima, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Support and assist activities related to Child Protection - the Super Panas, Protection of Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC) and advocacy with local authorities' strategies in Pacaraima:

• Ensure technical guidance to Implementing Partners decisions regarding Unaccompanied and Separated Children Case Management and Alternative Care guided by the best interests of the child and conducted in close collaboration with authorities (as Defensoria Pública da União, Defensoria Pública do Estado, Polícia Federal, Conselho Tutelar, Justiça Estadual, Ministério do Desenvolvimento e Assistência Social, Família e Combate à Fome e Ministério dos Direitos Humanos e da Cidadania) and other stakeholders. • Assist the daily monitoring of partners in the field, identifying constraints and solutions for the improvement of services. • Support the linkage between implementing partners, contributing to strengthen shared child protection case management.
• Review and follow up on Implementing Partners’ reports. • Support the programmatic implementation of the Child Protection interventions in Pacaraima, considering the migration response, the Humanitarian-Development nexus and the work with indigenous communities: • Together with the Outpost Coordinator in Pacaraima assist to liaise and engage with key stakeholders and partners on child protection issues and concerns. • Extend technical support in particular to the Implementing Partners and to the Child Protection local Network, and actively contribute to UNICEF initiatives and to the existing coordination mechanisms of Operação Acolhida in Pacaraima. • Support evidence generation and needs assessments related to Child Protection. • Assist in capacity building activities related to child protection and to the Humanitarian-Development nexus. • Support to the coordination activities of the Child Protection local Working Group and coordinate its respective Technical Table in Pacaraima. • Assist in the regular situation reporting of activities and in the daily monitoring of partners in the field, identifying constraints and solutions for the improvement of services. • Other support, as needed, with planning workshops and other activities. • Any other related tasks may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Support and assist delivering Education technical support and services within the context of the humanitarian response: • Conduct and update the situation assessment and analysis regarding education in Pacaraima; • Assist the daily monitoring of partners in the field, identifying constraints and solutions for the improvement of services. • Support the linkage between implementing partners and secretary of education contributing to strengthen public police for education for children on the move and living in Pacaraima; • Review and follow up on Implementing Partners’ reports. • Support the programmatic implementation of Education interventions in Pacaraima, considering the migration response, the Humanitarian-Development nexus and the work with indigenous communities: • Together with the Outpost Coordinator in Pacaraima assist to liaise and engage with key stakeholders and partners on education issues and concerns. • Support evidence generation and needs assessments related to Education. • Assist in capacity building activities related to education and to the Humanitarian-Development nexus; • Support to the coordination activities of the Education local Working Group. • Assist in the regular situation reporting of activities and in the daily monitoring of partners in the field, identifying constraints and solutions for the improvement of services. • Other support, as needed, with planning workshops and other activities. • Any other related tasks may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Support to Pacaraima's Outpost field coordination:

• Support for institutional demands and field assistance in the various UNICEF programmatic areas to cover and report to Pacaraima Outpost Coordinator, if necessary.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers. • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/expected outputs:

• Improved information management and relationship between child protection and education field partners (municipal government, non-government organization, UN agencies, and others) and UNICEF in Pacaraima; • Quality material and knowledge products for internal and external audiences produced in a timely fashion. • Adequate support provided to Child Protection and Education teams and other programme sections as required. • Capacity development and technical assistance provided, when working with governmental or non-governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs), considering also the Humanitarian-Development nexus. • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment. • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in, and capacities developed

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

child protection, education in emergencies, migration and/or gender issues. • Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others. • Good interpersonal, networking and communication skills. • Willingness to contribute and work as part of a team. • Flexible and open to learning and new experiences. • Respect for diversity and adaptability to other cultures, environments and living conditions. • Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e., studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded. • Computer skills (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, social media, and others).

Pacaraima is a municipality of ~18,900 people located in the northwest of the state of Roraima in Brazil. The history of the municipality of Pacaraima is linked to the demarcation of the border with Venezuela by the Brazilian Army, originating around the landmark known as BV-8, gateway to Brazil from Venezuela. The city has been the epicentre of the migration response since 2017. Between 2017 and 2022, Brazil registered over 720,00 Venezuelan refugees and migrants, of whom 330,000 remain in the country – an estimated 100,000 (30%) children. Most migrants/refugees enter the country via the border in the municipality of Pacaraima, where official shelters and triage center, managed by the Brazilian Army (Operação Acolhida) and UNHCR, host a caseload of over 6,700 people (over 3,300 children <18 years) in permanence. According to Federal Police, more than 50,400 Venezuelan migrants/refugees reside in the State of Roraima (62% of the total). UNICEF Brazil currently has a permanent presence in Pacaraima, with one individual consultant working on Child Protection and one Outpost Coordinator to ensure technical coordination and management of the programmatic response.

Pacaraima is classified hardship C. Housing options in Pacaraima are limited and security requirements are necessary to ensure a safe place to reside. Access to health care facilities is limited in the city, making it necessary to travel to the state capital, Boa Vista. The UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in Brazil advises to exercise a high degree of caution in Brazil due to the high levels of serious and violent crime, especially in major cities. Violent crimes such as assaults, armed robberies, kidnappings and sexual assault are very important. All United Nations personnel must scrupulously comply with UNDSS procedures and recommendations during their assignment, both on and off duty. For missions in rural areas or indigenous reserves, special procedures may apply; United Nations personnel should consult with the local DSS office in advance. Additional means of communication can be provided in Pacaraima. As this is a national UN Youth Volunteer assignment, the UN Youth Volunteer will be responsible for arranging their own housing and other living essentials.

Roraima is a unique State and has a unique humanitarian operation. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural and security awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential. Information on full entitlements at the duty station is available at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos

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Added 3 hours ago - Updated 3 hours ago - Source: unv.org