Youth Fellow-Somali Youth (SOYO) Fellowship Cohort II

Host entity: UNFPA

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Administration, Community development, Emergency preparedness, crisis response

Application deadline: 26/10/2026

Mission and objectives

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, working towards a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. It advances sexual and reproductive health and rights, promotes gender equality, prevents gender-based violence and harmful practices, and strengthens the use of population data to guide development and humanitarian action.

UNFPA places adolescents and young people at the centre of its work, supporting their access to information, services, skills and opportunities to exercise their rights and shape decisions affecting their lives. In Somalia, this includes adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health, life skills and citizenship education, youth leadership and innovation, engagement through youth centres, and meaningful participation in peacebuilding and the Youth, Peace and Security agenda. UNFPA works with government, youth-led organizations and other partners to reach underserved young people, particularly young women, displaced youth and young persons with disabilities.

Assignment context

SOYO is a flagship professional and leadership development initiative within UNFPA Somalia’s Adolescents and Youth Programme. Building on the inaugural cohort, Cohort II will offer 22 young Somali fellows a structured 12-month experience combining practical placements, mentorship, coaching and targeted learning. Benefits and allowances will follow the applicable UNV Conditions of Service and approved arrangements for National UN Community Volunteers. The programme has three objectives: strengthen fellows’ professional and technical competencies through supervised workplace experience; develop leadership and meaningful youth participation through learning and mentorship; and enable youth contributions to UNFPA’s mandate as well as the UN mandate through practical assignments and knowledge products.
A single recruitment process will cover the 22 placements. Successful applicants will be matched to UNFPA units based on their education, demonstrated competencies, interests, technical skills and operational needs. Placements may cover :
• Programme Coordination and Effectiveness
• Sexual Reproductive Health / Family Planning
• Gender Equality, GBV and Social Norms
• Adolescents and Youth
• Population and Development, Data and Economics
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Humanitarian Response and Preparedness
• Communications and Advocacy
• Resource Mobilization and Partnerships
• Climate change, financing and resilience building
• Operations (Finance, HR, administration and ICT)

Qualified young women and young persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants may request reasonable accommodation; information provided for this purpose will be handled confidentially and used to support equitable recruitment and placement.

Criteria for UN Volunteer assignments under SOYO Cohort II
• Must be a Somali national living in the country or from the diaspora
• Programme target age: 18–30 years
• Must hold a bachelor’s degree relevant to a proposed placement area.
• No prior professional experience is required; volunteering, student leadership and community engagement are valued.
• Must demonstrate leadership potential, commitment to community service and interest in UNFPA’s mandate.
• Must be available for the full-time, 12-month assignment and workplace learning activities.
• Previous SOYO cohort participants are not eligible for Cohort II.
• Selection will promote gender balance and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Task description

Task description
Under the direct supervision of the designated supervisor, each Fellow/UN Volunteer will undertake relevant tasks from the following common framework.

Programme Coordination and Effectiveness
• Support programme coordination and implementation by assisting with activity planning, workplans, meetings, documentation, action tracking and logistical arrangements for assigned initiatives.

1. Sexual Reproductive Health / Family Planning

• Support sexual and reproductive health programme by assisting with activities on maternal health, midwifery, family planning, and access to quality services.
• Support SRH outreach and service monitoring by helping organize approved outreach and awareness activities, compiling aggregate service and referral information, maintaining training and activity records, and documenting barriers affecting young people, women, persons with disabilities and displaced communities. Assist with tracking reported availability of reproductive health supplies and follow-up on programme actions.
• Support quality improvement by compiling non-identifiable findings from mentorship, supportive supervision and maternal and perinatal death reviews, and tracking agreed actions to strengthen respectful care and timely referral.

2. Gender Equality, GBV and Social Norms

• Support GBV programme coordination and documentation by assisting with training, partner meetings, service mapping, approved referral information, and compilation of non-identifiable monitoring data and programme updates. Apply confidentiality and survivor-centred principles to all assigned work.
• Assist in research and preparation of briefs, case studies and other knowledge products on GBV, FGM, child marriage and related gender issues.
• Support initiatives that strengthen the leadership and meaningful participation of women and girls in programme planning, implementation and monitoring.
• Assist with campaigns and advocacy initiatives, including the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
• Apply confidentiality, informed consent, safeguarding and survivor-centred principles to all assigned work, with technical supervision and appropriate handling of sensitive information.

3. Adolescents and Youth

• Support adolescent and youth Programme in close collaboration with partner organizations to develop activity workplans, track implementation and follow up on agreed actions.
• Support consultations with displaced youth, young persons with disabilities and other underserved groups to identify their priorities, barriers to participation and gaps in ASRH information and services.
• Assist in documenting youth feedback and following up with relevant programme teams and partners so that young people’s perspectives inform planning and implementation.

4. Population and Development, Data and Economics

• Support population and development work by assisting with demographic research, compilation and cleaning of authorized datasets, basic analysis, tables and visual summaries on population trends, age structure, gender and geographic inequalities. Contribute to background notes linking population evidence to SRH, GBV, youth and development priorities under technical supervision.
• Support documentation of promising approaches and good practices related to data generation and use.

5. Humanitarian response and preparedness

• Support humanitarian preparedness and response by compiling authorized information on needs, affected populations, service availability and programme coverage. Assist with preparedness workplans, partner updates, coordination meetings and documentation of emergency SRH and GBV activities, including support to the Minimum Initial Service Package for SRH where relevant to the assigned unit.
• Support the implementation and monitoring of UNFPA’s humanitarian preparedness and response plans.
• Contribute to anticipatory action, contingency planning, rapid-response preparedness and business continuity activities.
• Support the mapping of affected populations, service-delivery points and referral pathways

6. Operations (Finance, HR, Administration and ICT)

• Support finance and programme administration by organizing authorized supporting documents, updating expenditure and workplan trackers, assisting with document completeness checks, and maintaining audit and assurance records.
• Support Finance, travel, procurement, logistics and asset administration by assisting with requisition documentation, quotation and procurement records, delivery tracking, inventory updates, asset registers and logistical arrangements. Maintain authorized files and flag missing information or delays to the supervisor for action.
• Support human resources and office administration by assisting with recruitment and onboarding logistics, authorized personnel and learning records, meeting schedules, correspondence, travel documentation and routine office coordination. Handle personal information confidentially and provide administrative support to assigned teams.

7. Monitoring and Evaluation

• Support monitoring, evaluation and results reporting across assigned areas by compiling and checking activity data, maintaining indicator trackers and monitoring matrices, and preparing draft progress updates.
• Support the collection, compilation and verification of programme monitoring data, including disaggregation by age, sex, location and disability where appropriate.
• Assist in tracking workplan indicators, targets and milestones, preparing monitoring updates and following up on reporting gaps with programme teams and implementing partners.
• Support monitoring visits, evaluations and learning exercises by supporting preparations of tools, documenting findings and tracking agreed follow-up actions.

8. Communications and Advocacy

• Support communication, advocacy and knowledge management by drafting approved stories, briefs, presentations, digital content and visibility materials; organizing technical records; and documenting lessons and good practices. Support Somali-language and accessible communication where relevant, following consent, safeguarding, confidentiality and clearance requirements.
• Assist in developing and implementing communication plans and campaigns that highlight UNFPA’s programmes, results and the contributions of SOYO fellows.
• Support media engagement and event coverage by preparing draft press releases, key messages, interview briefs and social media updates for review and clearance.
• Assist in monitoring media and digital engagement, compiling communication analytics and audience feedback to inform improvements in outreach and advocacy.

9. Resource Mobilization and Partnerships

• Support partnerships and resource mobilization by assisting with donor and partner mapping, background research, meeting preparation, concept note and proposal inputs, and compilation of verified programme results for donor briefs and reports. Maintain partnership trackers and follow up on assigned actions under supervision.
• Support identification and mapping of potential donors and partners, including preparation of donor profiles and summaries of funding opportunities relevant to UNFPA’s mandate.

10. Climate change, financing and resilience building

• Support climate-related analysis and programme inputs by compiling evidence on links between climate shocks, displacement, SRH, GBV and youth priorities. Assist with briefs, youth climate engagement and relevant consultations, and contribute to learning products within UNFPA’s mandate.
• Assist in research and mapping of climate financing opportunities relevant to UNFPA’s mandate, including gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and youth participation.
• Support integration of climate adaptation and resilience measures into programme planning and monitoring, particularly for communities affected by drought, flooding and displacement.
• Support Climate initiatives related to UNFPA mandate, consultations and advocacy that strengthen community resilience and promote inclusive access to climate financing, linking climate action with gender equality, SRH, and peacebuilding.
• All fellows will participate in onboarding, mandatory training, coaching and structured learning and develop a supervisor-approved knowledge product or innovation project linked to their placement.
• Maintain an individual learning portfolio, submit quarterly progress and learning updates, participate in supervisor reviews and complete a final report and self-assessment. Contribute to the programme’s final assessment and knowledge-sharing activities and document achievements, challenges and lessons for future cohorts.

Skills and experience

Demonstrated interest or experience in:
● Youth development, leadership, community engagement, civic participation or peacebuilding.
● SRHR, gender equality, GBV prevention, human rights, population data, humanitarian action or the climate links to UNFPA’s mandate.
● Programme coordination, research, data compilation, monitoring, reporting or knowledge management.
● Communications, partnerships, resource mobilization or relevant operational support.
● Volunteerism, social innovation and initiatives benefiting communities.
● Operations, Finance, Accounting, HR, Admin
Skills in:
● Microsoft Office and online collaboration tools.
● Research, basic data analysis, accurate documentation and report writing.
● Meeting coordination, minute-taking, records management and administrative support.
● Communication, teamwork, stakeholder engagement and cultural sensitivity.
● Planning, organization, problem-solving, adaptability and attention to detail.

Living conditions

The UN Community Volunteers will be based in Mogadishu, Garowe and Hargeisa according to their designated placement. Duty-station-specific information on living conditions, accommodation arrangements, security requirements and applicable support will be provided before acceptance. Fellows must be available to serve at the agreed location on a full-time basis.
Fellows must complete required security training, follow applicable UN security instructions and comply with movement and travel arrangements for their duty station. Official field visits, workshops or other travel require advance approval and must be relevant to the placement and learning objectives. Any remote or hybrid arrangement requires approval.
UNFPA will provide orientation, a supervisor, mentorship, appropriate workspace and equipment, relevant materials and authorized systems access, subject to available resources and applicable policies. Access to confidential information will be limited to authorized needs. Safeguarding, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, ethics, respectful workplace conduct and data protection requirements apply throughout the assignment.

The UNV Conditions of Service, available at https://explore.unv.org/cos, outline the policies and rules governing UN Volunteer assignments. Fellows will serve as National UN Community Volunteers under individual UNV contracts. Allowances, insurance, leave and other entitlements will follow the applicable Conditions of Service and approved deployment arrangements.
The fellowship does not establish an entitlement to employment with UNFPA or another UN entity. Successful completion will be assessed through participation, quality of assignments, achievement of learning objectives, professional conduct, quarterly reviews and a final assessment.

Benefits and Entitlements:
• Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) and, where applicable, hardship pay: Monthly allowance (at rate of Community UCoS from Apr2026) to cover basic living expenses. use the entitlement calculator in https://app.unv.org/calculator
• Insurance coverage: Medical, life and disability insurance, subject to the applicable scheme.
• Leave entitlements: Annual leave, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave and eligible learning leave.
• Professional development: Access to UNV learning, training and development opportunities.

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