Translation and Multilingual Content for the YouthConnekt Africa Summit 2026

Host entity: UNDP

Areas of expertise: Translation and interpretation, Youth, Partnerships, resource mobilisation

Application deadline: 06/11/2026

Mission and objectives

UNDP is the United Nations' global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP Rwanda works closely with the Government of Rwanda and development partners to advance sustainable development, inclusive economic growth, and democratic governance. The UNDP Rwanda Country Programme Document (CPD) 2025-2029 identifies digital transformation and health innovation as strategic priority areas, aligned with Rwanda's National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) and Vision 2050.
Rwanda’s Ministry of Youth and Arts in partnership with UNDP launched Youth Connekt as a platform to connect innovative young Rwandans to help with the country’s inclusive economic transformation. This platform serves as a channel for youth, private sector, and government to address the challenges youth are facing in terms of employment and entrepreneurship

Assignment context

The YouthConnekt Africa Summit 2026 (25-27 November, Kigali, Rwanda) brings together young people, governments, the private sector and development partners from YouthConnekt Africa's 39 member states. Summit materials exist in English and French, but many young people follow news in other languages.
To make the Summit and its outcomes accessible across the continent, YouthConnekt Africa needs accurate translation of written materials and session content into French, Arabic, Portuguese and Kiswahili. This assignment covers written translation and subtitling. Live interpretation of sessions is not part of it and will be provided by professional interpreters.

Task description

We are looking for eight (8) Online Volunteers, two per language (French, Arabic, Portuguese and Kiswahili), who under the Project Communication & External Relations at UNDP Rwanda will translate Summit content from English into their target language. In particular, each Online Volunteer will:

• Translate social media posts, key messages, FAQs, programme summaries and short articles.
• Translate and time subtitles for short videos and recorded session highlights.
• After the Summit, translate session summaries and the confirmed outcomes package.
• Build and maintain a shared glossary of key Summit terms (for example AfCFTA, informal economy, Generational Mission) to keep terminology consistent.
• Review each other's translations within the language pair for accuracy, tone and consistency.
• Flag content that does not translate well culturally and suggest adaptations.
• Meet agreed turnaround times, including faster delivery during Summit week (25-27 November).

Online volunteers will contribute to making a continental policy event accessible to young people in their own languages, work with UNDP and YouthConnekt Africa, and receive a certificate of appreciation on successful completion

Skills and experience

• Proven experience in translation, ideally in development, policy or communications content.
• Native or near-native command of the target language and excellent written English.
• Experience with subtitling tools (for example Aegisub, Subtitle Edit or CapCut) is an asset.
• Familiarity with economic, trade or development terminology is an asset.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to meet short deadlines.
• A degree in translation, languages, international relations or a related field is an asset.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.