Volunteerism on the front lines for child rights in the Central African Republic
On International Volunteer Day, meet the UN Volunteers with UNICEF in CAR serving each day with a passion for making a difference.
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.At daybreak, United Nations Volunteer, Christine Mbuyi, reviews her files, ensuring everything is in order before setting out along the rough road that leads out of Paoua, in the north of the Central African Republic.
Today’s destination is Bodoli, a village of about 3,500 people. Although it lies only 20 kilometres from Paoua town, the journey takes more than an hour due to the road’s appalling condition. By the time Christine arrives, several hundred people are already waiting for her in the shade of large trees.
“I handle a UNICEF cash education programme for vulnerable families. It is tiring but rewarding. I get a lot of satisfaction when I see children who are happy to go to school.”
A native of South Africa, Mbuyi has more than a decade of experience in the humanitarian field across several countries. She has been serving as a UN Volunteer in the Central African Republic for just over a year.
Sitting at her desk inside a large classroom, she patiently receives those benefiting from the programme over the next five hours. She checks that their names appear on the approved list, then directs them to another table where her colleagues prepare the appropriate cash amounts before recipients sign and leave.
“Because of past years of violence, many people have become destitute and find it difficult to send their children to school. We help them so that no child remains at home."
School fees are officially free in the Central African Republic, but additional costs—such as school supplies, uniforms, and parents’ association contributions—can quickly become overwhelming for families with four or five school-aged children, in a country with one of the world’s highest levels of poverty. This two-year project, funded by the European Union and Education Cannot Wait (ECW), provides significant relief for these households.
Emmaculate Ikome, from Cameroon, is another United Nations Volunteer with UNICEF working also in the field of education.
“As part of the education cluster coordination team, I ensure that we have a clear picture of who is doing what, so we can provide better services and avoid duplication,”
Her work often takes her into rural areas far from the capital city, especially to areas facing emergency situations, where the needs are particularly acute.
“I frequently encounter overcrowded classrooms and damaged school buildings, often with too few teachers. But I also see many children who are eager and happy to learn.”
As she carries out her work, she shares in that same joy. “UNICEF is a dream for me,” she says with conviction. “I’m very proud to serve as a UN Volunteer. As a volunteer, you work tirelessly, regardless of the benefits you may or may not receive.”
Emmaculate is the sixth of seven siblings. After studying psychology, she has spent a decade working in the humanitarian and development sectors. Although she initially considered becoming a nurse, she says her interest in education was inspired by her mother: “She didn’t have the chance to go a long way in her studies, but she always told us that she wanted all her children to earn doctorates.”
Christine and Emma are part of a team of eight UNVs currently working with UNICEF in the Central African Republic. Sixty-nine volunteers (35 national and 34 international of 17 nationalities) serve under the different UN agencies in the country, plus 310 others under the United Nations peacekeeping mission MINUSCA.
Established in 1970 by the UN General Assembly, the UNV programme had more than 14,600 UN Volunteers from over 180 nationalities by the end of 2024. They serve in 170 countries with 59 UN agencies, helping implement programmes that improve the lives of millions of people around the world and contributing significantly to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In the Central African Republic, their volunteerism is making a difference for children.
