The AU Continental Volunteer Linkage Platform Campaign: African Union Connects Volunteering Organizations to Opportunities for Scale Up

Sep 29, 2022

| General

The African Union through the Women, Gender and Youth Directorate has called on all youth volunteers-involving organizations to sign up and register their various volunteer organizations on the African Union Continental Volunteer Linkage Platform in order to access opportunities and volunteering information.

This campaign dubbed “Volunteer4 Impact” comes at a time when the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, in decision Assembly / AU / Dec.274 (XVI), recognized youth volunteering as a tool for youth empowerment and a catalyst for the development of youth in the continent. The decision further mandates the African Union Commission (AUC) to promote youth volunteering in Africa.

African Union Commission (AUC) strongly believes that volunteering does not happen in isolation and therefore requires an enabling environment and strategic collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that volunteering receives greater attention and meaningfully contributes to economic development and social cohesion in Africa. This is to ensure the right contributions are in place for the achievement of   the Agenda 2063 and the UN Agenda 2030.

In this context, the AUC developed in close consultation with the main stakeholders (civil society organizations, private sector, government, regional structures, volunteers and alumni, volunteer-involving organizations, partners) an online volunteering linkage platform (VLP) to provide an overview of volunteering and exchange programs and a learning and exchange platform presenting good practices and tools, data and an information exchange platform.

The Volunteer Linkage Platform (VLP) is thus as an instrument that brings together all stakeholders and creates a space for information exchange and data generation that can be leveraged to improve volunteerism in Africa. The VLP is conceived as a marketplace for volunteer initiatives and actors on the African continent. It provides information to the public interested in volunteerism and exchange in Africa; young Africans; sending and hosting volunteerism and exchange organizations; partners involved in supporting volunteer and exchange programs; state, regional and private actors in the field.

Presently, the VLP which has been up and running since 2019 has a number of

volunteers-involving CSOs and national volunteerism coordinating organizations registered; and providing information, opportunities and connections where pertinent.

One of these organizations shared that "Being registered on the VLP has been of enormous impact to our organization; not only has it facilitated the ease with which we access volunteers for our projects, we have increased our network by sharing ideas and partnering with other organizations on the continent, our outreaches have expanded to other African countries and we have also gained credibility and visibility on the international scene. The VLP is a must for any stakeholder in the move for Youth Volunteerism as a tool for African progress and unity”, Street Kids helping Initiative based in Lagos Nigeria.

 Evidently, the VLP serves a variety of needs in which its benefits are embedded. Some benefits of registering on the platform include:

1. Easy access to opportunities and volunteers


2. A variety of options in diverse career paths


3. Recent updates on volunteerism


4. Excellent networking opportunities


5. Information on volunteering policies


6. An environment to learn from other practitioners

And so much more!

There's room for more volunteers-involving organizations and this is a call to join the train! Register on and get more information about the VLP using the link below:

https://www.volunteer.africa/en

 For media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Priscilla Mawuena Adjeidu, Communications Officer, AUC Youth Division: AdjeiduP@africa-union.org

Ms. Vadoo Rejoice Tyodzua, Communications Assistant , AUC WGYD: rejoicetyodzua@gmail.com

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