SUMMER SCHOLARS BLOG : Cherisse Bovell
Aerial picture of above Johannesburg
From NYC to Jozi : My First Week at UNFPA
It was the morning of Sunday, June 2nd and I had just landed in Johannesburg, South Africa. I had just travelled for 18 hours straight and stayed up for 36 hours prior to that. It was safe to say… I was exhausted. Nonetheless, I was fuelled by my excitement and eagerness to begin this adventure. Upon my arrival I was greeted in the airport pick-up area by a lovely gentleman holding a sign with my name on it, who had been tasked with getting me to the guest house I’d be staying in for the following three months. On the drive we had a nice chat about the city, and what his life was like in Johannesburg. Whilst we conversed I was looking out the window and taking in the scenery. It couldn’t be ignored that the wealth disparity I was very much aware of prior to my arrival was being presented to me directly in front my eyes. Just from the short 25 minute drive from the airport to my accommodation in Sandton (The richest city in Africa), I saw the stark differences between the townships and how they abruptly ended, followed immediately by shopping centres, luxury apartments and other examples of abundance. Despite these contrasts, I was also struck by the city's vibrancy and energy, with lively markets, colourful murals, and the warm, welcoming smiles of the people. The blend of stark realities and vibrant culture made my first impressions of Joburg quite unforgettable, and I couldn't wait to begin immersing myself in a true South African experience.
With no time to be wasted, as my placement has a 12 week requirement, I headed to the office on Tuesday 4th June to begin my work with the UNFPA Youth Engagement team. My first day was filled with introductions, onboarding and having me do a security briefing. The briefing was to ensure I fully understood the organization’s security protocols as well as how I should manoeuvre myself in a country with a crime rate as high as South Africa. I wasn’t daunted by the reality of the country’s crime climate, as Trinidad (my home), ranks only two places below South Africa on the global crime index…so it’s safe to say, I feel pretty accustomed and well equipped with the faculties to remain safe.
My accomodation (center) and the UNFPA Eastern and Southern African Regional Office (right)
I was given my TOR (terms of reference) which outlined what I’d be doing during my three month stay. The UNFPA is the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency, with a mission to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. Their youth team is tasked with making adolescents and youth populations a priority and directing their efforts into different mechanisms to do so. They prioritise youth leadership & participation, comprehensive sexuality education, tackling adolescent pregnancy and combatting child marriage. At my time here, I will be assisting them with a stakeholder mapping project to assess regional and national youth focused/ youth led organizations. In the UNFPA (ESARO) Output 6 plan, this assessment was proposed with the overall objective to identify different agencies working towards meaningful engagement of youth participation, health and overall development. By the end of my time here I will have generated a report to be disseminated to the regional COs (country offices), that has identified these programmes and evaluated their practices to see what can be effectively implemented on national and regional levels.
With this being such a busy time of the year for the office, no time was wasted and I went to work straight away. In my first few days I met with each team and got briefed on their goals and the current projects they’re working on. In my time here, I not only want to put my best foot forward on my assigned tasks, but also take the opportunity to learn as much about the organization that I can. Given my goals to work within international systems and promote human rights in both regional and international schemes, there is truly no better opportunity. With that being said, I will continue to acclimate myself to the work culture and familiarise myself with the truly talented team of individuals here at UNFPA.
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The above are select excerpts from Cherisse Bovell’s blog. You can read all her blogs here
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Our Summer Scholars Blog, a collection of reports from post-grad scholars that UNA-NYC has sponsored globally, showcases our fellows' experiences with UN agencies and non-governmental organizations in the country where they are working. Learn more about our Summer Scholars fellowship program and fellows here.