At the African Youth Forum in Uganda in 2010, the hundreds of
young people in attendance made clear their intent – that they be seen as equal
members of the community and included in the decisions that impact their
lives. With the launch of U-Report the following year, young people could
now use the platform to keep their needs at the heart of national agendas
across the globe by speaking directly with world leaders on issues ranging
from education, climate, mental wellbeing and health.
In the ensuing 11 years since its establishment, U-Report
has become a significant platform that empowers young people, not only through
its use as a dynamic reporting tool but also as a trusted source of lifesaving
information, as was the case during the advent of COVID-19 when the platform
helped to stop the spread of disinformation while sharing ways users could
protect themselves from the virus.
Today, with over 25 million U-Reporters
adding their voice to the platform, young people have never been more connected
– or heard.
“Being part of the U-Report has been a
comforting experience,” said Xavier,14, from Ecuador. “Just knowing that I am
contributing with a grain of sand to data that will be part of making important
decisions for the benefit of our society, it is worth a lot. As long as we have
life there will be hope.”
Impact in emergencies
From the start, the potential for
U-Report in emergencies was clear and we have seen many examples of its often
life-saving impact around the world.
Specifically, during the Ebola crisis in Nigeria between 2014-2015, U-Reporters worked with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to address the myths and misconceptions surrounding Ebola. Users were able to access credible information in real time, and stop erroneous practices, including when some community members were turning to bathing with hot water and salt and eating bitter kola to beat the disease.
And in Zimbabwe during Cyclone Idai,
UNICEF worked with government line ministries and the Civil Protection Unit to
disseminate critical information via U-Report on health, nutrition, WASH, child
protection, HIV, and education to address immediate needs of affected
populations. The platform was further used to assess affected populations’
challenges in accessing health service delivery and identify geographical areas
and populations that were not reached by the response.
By mainstreaming U-Report in the
preparedness phase during any emergency, UNICEF is better able ensure that
resources are planned and pre-positioned for roll-out in affected communities.
The platform can also serve as a vital early warning mechanism, alerting
U-Reporters on the ongoing situation and prompting communities to make informed
decisions during an impending emergency.
How U-Reporters are influencing
decision makers
Where surveys like DHIS and MICS reach
thousands of households and collect scientific data, U-Report takes the pulse
of young people…what they think, feel…what their needs are. This vital insight
cannot be ignored by our global leaders.
In Benin, hundreds of U-Reporters traveled across the whole country as part of a national “advocacy relay” to meet local and national decision-makers to amplify their voices about their concerns, priorities and proposed solutions on issues ranging from youth unemployment, violence against children, access to sexual and reproductive health services, the fight against poverty, inclusion of youth with disabilities and the right to participation.
This ultimately led Benin
Vice-President, Mariam Chabi Talata, to commit that all children and youth be
consulted whenever decisions that concern and affect them are being discussed
and taken.
“U-Report has taught us to raise our voices on issues that pose as a threat to our well-being and ideas for possible solutions,” said Evbotokhai, 20, from Nigeria U-Reporters in several countries are also influencing legislative processes.
In Argentina, UNICEF co-created a U-Report poll with adolescents to help them influence new laws in 2021 – a year of legislative elections. The poll received responses from young people in all 24 jurisdictions in the country, informing a document on Argentine youth and public policy priorities, which was sent to all legislators in congress.
And in Uganda, members of Parliament
actively used the platform to connect with the young people in their
constituencies, asking questions about improving education quality.
Promoting mental wellbeing
through U-Report
Over 251,000 young people have now used the U-Report Mental Health Chatbots, reassuring them that “…it is okay not to be okay”. The bots have helped young people to communicate their feelings better and break the stigma around mental health as well as build skills the skills necessary to manage their relationships and reach out for support.
“I had always been a young woman who struggled to create healthy and long-term relationships with co-workers and friends,” said Zainab, 24, from Iraq. “However, I started to feel motivated when I found a post on the U-Report Iraq Facebook page, that stated that we could send the word “TIPS” to the U-Report platform to gain valuable pieces of advice on mental health, relationships, and other interesting topics.”
How can countries launch
U-Report?
As UNICEF’s largest digital platform for
youth engagement in programme delivery, emergency response and recovery we
continue to see why it is important to have more countries launching and
investing in the platform. To launch U-Report, countries require a minimum investment in the first year of operation for
platform hosting and other operational costs.
Partners are the drivers of scale on
U-Report across the world. We grow because youth networks have seen this as an
avenue to reach the thousands and millions of young people, they work with on a
regular basis on the issues that they care about. The partners a country
selects will make or break the platform both Public and Private sector to
support free SMS and other operation needs – partners like Airtel, Orange and
MTN mobile telecom companies in countries like Nigeria, DRC and Côte d'Ivoire
that have invested in the platform providing free SMS.
25 million U-Reporters: A
growing movement of child rights advocates
U-Report started off as simple
innovation with the Office of Innovation and is now a global movement of child
rights advocates that has grown from 4.6 million in 2017 in 42 countries to 25
million in 2022 in 91 countries.
As the U-Report community continues to grow, so does its ability to affect positive change across the world. As we recognize the milestone of 25 million users, we understand that it is more than just a number, it is about the impact the platform is having in the lives of young people around the world. With more users joining U-Report every day that impact can only increase exponentially.
Written by: Caroline Muhwezi, U-Report Global Coordinator
