This archive report was first published on 3 November 2019.
On November 3, 2019, Mount Kenya University (MKU) and the United Nations (UN) University Volunteers programme signed an agreement to offer volunteering opportunities to selected students.
The initiative aims to provide university students with enough exposure and experience in the global job market, addressing the challenge of unemployment in Kenya.
According to Olivier Adam, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers programme, students enrolled in the programme will have a higher stake of getting UN job offers once they complete their studies.
“As we formalize this new partnership, I am proud to say that MKU will become outstanding in other respects. MKU will be the first university in Africa to directly deploy its students as United Nations University Volunteers within the UN system,” said Adam.
Dr. Vincent Gichuru Gaitho, MKU's council vice chairman, emphasized that the agreement comes at a time when the Kenyan job market is facing numerous challenges.
“This will give the students an advantage and experience that will assist them to later on get jobs or further their career,” said Gaitho.
The partnership marks the first UN University Volunteer agreement in Kenya and the East and Southern African region.
Selected students will be deployed annually for up to six months in various UN agencies in Kenya as UN University Volunteers to apply their knowledge and skills in several areas of UN peace and development work.
