Rural Voices of Youth is a youth-led effort that uses face-to-face exchanges to seek and share the insights of young people in rural areas who cannot easily access ICTs - and who thus might otherwise find VOY participation difficult or impossible. The young volunteers visit schools and interview local young people in the Yoruba language, asking about their experiences with development challenges such as water, environment, and sanitation; intergenerational dialogue; conflict; and HIV/AIDS.

The young people's responses are then translated into English and then posted on the UNICEF website. In addition, they are also posted to the VOY web discussion forum; these discussion boards aim to make it possible for young people around the world to talk to one another, over the internet, in English, French, or Spanish about child rights and other development-related issues. Click here to join in.

Rural Voices of Youth volunteers have also engaged young Nigerians through various essay contests, such as one focusing on the theme “Things I know about the United Nations” for students at Mopelola Nursery and Primary school. Children at the school made more than 60 entries to the contest, and recited their entries before a panel of judges. The children also participated in a workshop where they learned about the United Nations, as well as how they can take action in their communities to contribute to UNICEF’s goal of helping children. To cite another example, in collaboration with the Youth MDG Campaign in Nigeria, Rural Voices of Youth volunteers organized an essay contest and workshop on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for secondary school students. The young people also participated in a workshop in which they learned about the MDGs from a guest speaker who stressed the importance of taking responsibility and working together to meet the Goals. Rural Voices of Youth founder Oyebisi Oluseyi also spoke about the importance of volunteering in achieving the MDGs.

Youth.

VOY was launched in 1995 as a way for more than 3000 young people from 81 countries to send messages to world leaders at the World Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen in 1995. It was also developed as part of the celebration for UNICEF’s 50th Anniversary.