Mount Kenya University has on Friday signed an MoU that will see the institution directly deploy students to the United Nations University Volunteers within the UN system.
Led by the Organization’s Executive Coordinator, Olivier Adam and the MKU fraternity and the auspice of the acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof Peter Wanderi signed the MoU at the MKU main campus in Thika.
“As we formalize this new partnership, I am proud to say that MKU will become outstanding in other respects. MKU will be the first university in Africa to directly deploy its students as United Nations University Volunteers within the UN system,” said Adam.
He said through this partnership, the best and brightest students will have an opportunity to put in practice what they learned via their support.
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Sponsored by the MKU Foundation, every year a selected number of students will serve as UN University Volunteers with UN entities in Kenya.
Adam said there is a global consensus on the fact that the engagement of young people as leaders and active solution finders is imperative if we are to successfully achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
“The SDGs have been captured in the Government’s Big Four Agenda aimed at tackling the issue of food security, affordable housing, manufacturing and health care for all,” he said.
He added, “While we all know that we need to engage young people in shaping our future, we often see them struggling to enter the job market after completing their studies.”
MKU will give students a six months opportunity to be at the epicentre of the United Nations.
MKU founder and chairman of the board of directors, Prof Simon Nyutu Gicharu said his Board has committed to invest resources to support five students to undertake the volunteer programme for six months at a cost of approximately Ksh 4 million.
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