HEART/NSTA Trust and UNICEF Expanding Digital Life Skills Coach for Youth
KINGSTON April 01, 2026: HEART/NSTA Trust and UNICEF Jamaica have strengthened their partnership to expand FunDoo, an innovative digital life‑coach supporting youth with career guidance, skill‑building, and access to opportunities following record engagement and completion rates among users.
FunDoo is available on UNICEF’s U-Report Jamaica platform, with more than 16,000 U‑Reporters having access to FunDoo and more than 2,500 young people already completing learning activities. HEART‑developed modules have seen exceptional performance, including the Online Jobs module, which recorded an 81% completion rate, far above the global average of 30%.
More than 700 Jamaican youth contributed to the creation of FunDoo which was launched in 2023. Now, FunDoo features over 20 localized tasks on topics such as career exploration, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and life skills.
Delivered through WhatsApp, SMS, Instagram and Facebook Messenger, the platform offers practical, youth‑friendly guidance in an accessible digital space.
As part of the strengthened model, FunDoo will be guided by HEART’s Career Services Department, ensuring its long‑term relevance within Jamaica’s skills training ecosystem. UNICEF will continue to support the platform’s technical infrastructure and global digital-safety standards.
“FunDoo was designed to truly serve young people, so anchoring it within national systems is essential for long‑term impact,” said Olga Isaza, UNICEF Representative at the recent signing of the agreement. “We are encouraged by HEART’s leadership in guiding the platform forward and ensuring it reflects the realities of Jamaica’s labour market,” she added while reinforcing UNICEF’s commitment to working closely with HEART to provide a seamless digital experience for the young people who depend on it.
Highlighting the role of FunDoo in expanding opportunities for young people, Managing Director of the HEART/NSTA Trust, Dr. Taneisha Ingleton said, “It is a gateway for young Jamaicans to build confidence, and connect with pathways to skills development and employment. This strengthened partnership ensures that FunDoo remains nationally relevant, technically robust, and accessible to the thousands of youth we serve across Jamaica.”
HEART/NSTA Trust and UNICEF will continue developing new content, expanding outreach, and integrating FunDoo into national youth initiatives to help more young Jamaicans navigate a rapidly changing workforce.
Young people may access FunDoo by sending the word “FUNDOO” to U-Report Jamaica at 876-838-4897 via SMS or WhatsApp, or to @ureportjamaica on Instagram or Facebook Messenger.
SMS messages are free, thanks to a partnership with Digicel and FLOW, both of which have zero rated messages sent to the U-Report number.
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About UNICEF Jamaica
We support government and non-governmental partners to promote and fulfil the rights of children, especially the most disadvantaged. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
For information about UNICEF and its work, visit www.unicef.org/jamaica. Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
About U-Report
U-Report is a digital community by youth for youth, pioneered by UNICEF and designed to give young people a greater voice on issues that are important to them. In May 2018, Jamaica became the first country in the Caribbean to launch U-Report, joining a global movement of now over 39 million U-Reporters. In Jamaica, over 16,000 U-Reporters have signed up and can access tools like FunDoo, digital life skills chatbot, U-Report polls and chatbots and the U-Matter Mental Health chatline.
About HEART/NSTA Trust
The HEART/National Service Training Agency (NSTA) Trust is a statutory organisation mandated to co-ordinate and facilitate the training and assessment of the Jamaican workforce to international standards. The Organisation was established in 1982 by former Prime Minister the Right Honorable Edward Seaga and was restructured by the HEART Act in 1991.
