Community Volunteer Supervisor

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the Organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give more children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Immunization saves lives and is a key priority in The Gambia’s child health programme. While national vaccination coverage is usually high, some children are still being missed. An estimated 14,000 children are classified as “zero-dose,” meaning they have not received even one routine vaccine. These children are concentrated in Western Region one and two, border communities, and vulnerable households, where health systems face access, equity, and data challenges. will be deployed to Western 1 & 2 health region. Volunteers will be engaged in activities for the reduction of Zero dose children. They will be deployed to health facilities in the regions based on many factors including: the number of zero dose children in the facility catchment area, the facility dropout rate and area coverage etc. Volunteers will support health workers during outreach and fixed-site immunization sessions, conduct home visits and participate in community engagement activities.

•The Supervisor of UNV Community Volunteers will provide technical guidance, oversight, and coordination to ensure high‑quality community‑level support for immunization services. The role ensures that volunteers are effectively mobilized, supported, and monitored to reach all households, strengthen demand for vaccination, and improve immunization coverage especially for zero‑dose and under‑immunized children.

• Develop weekly and monthly workplans for UNV Community Volunteers and align them with health facility outreach plans and national immunization priorities.

• Ensure volunteers conduct home visits as scheduled and reach targeted households, especially those with zero-dose or missed children.

• Coordinate volunteer participation in fixed-site and outreach immunization sessions.

• Training: Volunteers will undergo training on immunization basics, interpersonal communication, community mobilization, and data collection tools. Training will be conducted jointly by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), and partners, with UNV providing administrative support.