After all, who knows better than ourselves what is more interesting/understandable for us
Teenagers from the UNICEF Advisory Group told what they do and why it is important
- русский
- English
Anya, Lyosha, Kira, Vanya, Sofia are very versatile and multifaceted young people. But all of them are united by their concern for other people's problems, desire to develop and courage to express their creative ideas that can affect the lives of others. All of them volunteer in the Adolescent Advisory Group (A-team), which UNICEF created in Belarus in 2021 to ensure that the voices of young people are heard by UNICEF staff and partners. And their views, ideas and opinions are taken into account when planning and implementing programs that are created for them.
A-team is a group of teenagers that helps in the creation, development and evaluation of UNICEF projects in Belarus, taking into account the needs of children and adolescents. The group consists of 15 teenagers (5 boys and 10 girls) aged 15 to 18 from all over Belarus: from regional centres to small towns.
The young people told what exactly they do and why it is important for them.
LYOSHA, Minsk
I believe that my contribution to the work of the Advisory Group is a way to help my peers. It is important for me to be active and participate in the creation of various projects. Because I believe that each of us can make the world a better place.
As a member of the A-team, I write and adapt materials for a youth website u-platform.by . Every text I create is an opportunity to draw the attention of teenagers and young people to important projects or problems. I also give feedback on teen materials, take part in events with other guys.
In addition, I am working on creating an online course on inclusive communication. It's about how we interact with people, regardless of their capabilities and needs. I understand that participation in such projects is not just the technical fulfillment of tasks; it is an opportunity to contribute to the creation of something important. Something that can make the world more open and friendly.
What I particularly like about the work of the Advisory Group is that we have a platform to express ideas that can become the basis for new projects. We are heard.
ANYA, Gomel
I have been in the A-team for more than a year, and during this time I have participated in many UNICEF activities and programs in Belarus. I have a passion for foreign languages, so I translate courses/trainings from English into Russian, as well as from Russian into Belarusian.
I am also interested in ecology, so I conduct environmental trainings for children in schools and children's camps, and participate in open dialogues with businesses on eco-topics.
Like other A-team members, I regularly evaluate various UNICEF materials aimed at children and adolescents. After all, who knows better than ourselves what is more convenient/interesting/understandable for us? ll this helps adults to understand what we are missing and what is the best way to help us. It's important to me.
As a part of the A-team, we represent the interests of all young people. We can directly express our suggestions, which helps children and adolescents to be heard and our ideas to be implemented.
VANYA, Borisov
I enjoy researching and discovering new things and sharing my observations with parents and peers. That's probably why I was attracted to the opportunity to be a part of the UNICEF Advisory Group.
I like that the UNICEF team is asking teenagers for their opinion. I understand the importance of my own opinion and that I can influence some decisions. It's inspiring.
Personally, I am interested in the topic of men's health. Among teenagers it is not a common thing to talk about. Although it is necessary to talk about it, but openly, accurately and reliably. Therefore, together with our peers, we consult doctors, collect information and inform teenagers about how to take care of themselves.
SOFIA, Gomel
I have been a member of UNICEF since 2021, and in 2023 I became a member of the Advisory Group. I was impressed by the fact that each member of the group can find a topic that interests them and develop in this area.
In August 2023, I started studying in China, and my work in the group went online.
I was involved in the testing of UNICEF online resources, as our feedback allows UNICEF members to understand what really works and which things can be improved. Staying in a foreign country, I realised that I do not want to forget my native language, always speaking English. That's why I actively contributed to the translation of the u-platform.by website content into Belarusian. It was important for me to be a part of this initiative in order to give the Belarusians an opportunity to receive information in their native language.
I also promote the idea of organising trainings for children from residential care facilities. Since I already have experience of working in this field, I believe that this project will appeal to children.
KIRA, Borisov
I came to A-team as a person who was completely sure of what I liked and in what areas I wanted to develop. But UNICEF opened new opportunities for me and suddenly I became interested in environmental issues.
To be honest, I have never thought about the problems associated with climate change. But I was offered to test the u-platform.by course ‘How to Be Eco-Friendly’, and I was captivated. Now, together with other young people who are interested in this topic, we are creating a themed game. It will help to tell a large number of children about important issues related to climate change in an easy way. Now I'm even thinking about how to "integrate" my passion for environmental issues into my future work in the field of economics.
But the discoveries did not end there either. Recently, I was asked to create a visual for one of the UNICEF volunteers' social media posts — and now I'm a social media intern. I realised that I wanted to develop in this field as well, to convey information about the life and programmes of UNICEF in Belarus in a bright and colourful way.
Nevertheless, at UNICEF I not only discover new areas of interest, but also develop in the areas I was engaged in before. At UNICEF I learnt about the STEM4ALL platform, where I am taking courses and workshops to prepare myself for a career in STEM. For me, UNICEF is also about professional development, so I try to make sure that as many girls as possible learn about the programme and gain new experience and expand their career opportunities.
