Mission and objectives

UNICEF work in Egypt is focused on promoting sustainable development with multidimensional equity for children, embodying the fair chance for every child principle. In line with national priorities, UNICEF work in Egypt focuses on Early Childhood Development bridging the first 1000 days through the first years of formal education, as a key means by which multiple threats to children may be addressed through cross-sectoral linkages. The expected results of UNICEF’s work in Egypt will contribute to national efforts and priorities and the 2030 National Sustainable Development Strategy; as well as the United Nations Partnership for Development Framework (UNPDF 2018-2022). UNICEF’s programme in Egypt contributes to strengthen the knowledge base for more child-sensitive social protection, and improve three fundamental elements of the early childhood years (health, nutrition and development). UNICEF’s work on learning and protection covers all children of all ages, focusing on the most vulnerable children, children with disabilities and adolescent girls.

Context

At UNICEF, we communicate and advocate to realize the rights of every child, especially the most marginalized, in every country. UNICEF Egypt Child Survival and Development section aims to ensure all young children, from conception to school entry, especially the most vulnerable, achieve their full potential through nurturing care and equitable access to quality services. Established in 1946, UNICEF is mandated to advocate for the protection of children's rights, help meet their basic needs, and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. The goal is to address the triple burden of malnutrition the coexistence of undernutrition and overweight/obesity—particularly among children, adolescent girls, and women of reproductive age as well as anaemia among the same target population. The objective is to support national efforts to reduce all forms of malnutrition and promote optimal nutrition across the life cycle. UNICEF is pioneering efforts to strengthen nutrition sensitive food systems by advocating for an enabling legislative environment that supports breastfeeding, shields children from the aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages and engages diverse stakeholders to foster a shared understanding of healthy nutritious eating practices. Through these multisectoral collaborations, UNICEF aims to create sustainable changes that promote consumption of nutritious diets and protect the health of Egypt’s most vulnerable populations. UNICEF works closely with the Ministry of Health and Population and other key national stakeholders, including sister agencies The UNV will get the experiential learning opportunity from an experienced and expert team in an international development organization environment and contribute to delivering results for children in Egypt.

Task Description

This assignment offers a unique opportunity to contribute to UNICEF’s mission of improving child and maternal nutrition in Egypt. Under the supervision of the Nutrition Specialist at UNICEF ECO, the UN Volunteer will support the implementation, monitoring, and advocacy of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions, with a particular focus on addressing the triple burden of malnutrition and advancing food systems transformation. Key responsibilities include: A) Program Implementation & Support:- • Assist in the rollout of nutrition interventions targeting children, adolescent girls, and women of reproductive age, including anemia prevention and stunting reduction as part of the Child Survival and Development Work-plan 2025-2026. • Support research and analysis of regional and national political, social and economic development trends having an impact on food systems and nutrition in Egypt. Collect, analyze, verify and synthesize information to facilitate program development, design and preparation. • Support the integration of nutrition services within different platforms like education, social protection and others to improve maternal and child nutritional status. • Support procedures to ensure the implementation of the program runs smoothly including documentation, budgeting, minutes keeping and close follow-up with different colleagues and implementors. B) Capacity Building & Community Engagement:- • Support overseeing training and capacity-strengthening activities for health workers, community volunteers, and implementing partners. • Support activities that facilitate community-based nutrition education and behavior change communication initiatives. C)Monitoring, Evaluation & Knowledge Management:- • Assist in the collection, analysis, and visualization of nutrition data to inform programming and policy decisions. • Document best practices, lessons learned, and success stories from the implementation to support knowledge sharing and continuous improvement. D) Policy & Advocacy:- • Contribute to advocacy efforts promoting breastfeeding legislation and the regulation of marketing practices for unhealthy foods and beverages. • Engage with stakeholders to support policy dialogue and multisectoral coordination around food systems and healthy diets. Stakeholder Coordination • Support the collaboration with government counterparts, UN agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions to ensure alignment and synergy across nutrition and food systems activities. • Participate in technical working groups and inter-agency platforms related to nutrition and food systems.

Competencies and values

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

Living conditions and remarks

Cairo, Egypt is a family duty station with a wide range of services (health, education and leisure) and good living conditions. It has long been a center of the region’s political and cultural life, with high levels of tourism. Like other similar cities, Cairo offers good quality of life in terms of access to shopping centers, banks, medical services, educational facilities, cultural events, etc. The Arab Republic of Egypt has a unique geographical position in Northeast Africa, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, on the Mediterranean and Red Sea, and its connection to Sub Saharan Africa through the Nile Valley. UN National Specialist Volunteer gets the following package: • Volunteer Living Allowance (around EGP 63,400/Month) • Entry Lump-Sum = USD 400(one-time payment) • Exit Lump-Sum upon completion of contract. • Medical and life Insurance premium/Cigna (100%) and dependents policy. • Access to UNV E-Campus for training and learning including access to LinkedIn learning. Further entitlements and information available at: https://www.unv.org/volunteer-your-country-conditions-service.