Organization Mission

Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the principal UN Agency in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all.

Since 1985, IOM has been collaborating closely with the Government of Zimbabwe to implement a wide range of programmes and projects covering various programmatic areas, such as migration and development, refugee resettlement, assisted voluntary return and reintegration, humanitarian emergency and transition recovery, migrant health assessments. IOM has a main office in Harare and a sub-office in Beitbridge. The Country Office (CO) implements relevant projects in partnership with the Government and undertakes liaison and advocacy activities with various multilateral institutions at the regional levels to enhance research, policy development and dialogue on migration-related matters.

IOM Zimbabwe CO is currently engaged on various interventions including humanitarian and emergency response; community stabilization and socio-economic inclusion of most vulnerable population; integrated border and migration management; and movements and assistance to migrants. The mission has extensive experience and expertise in the implementation of community stabilization, migration and returns and recovery interventions through multi-sector projects targeting IDPs, returnees and host communities focusing on mobile vulnerable populations. This includes capacitating government to manage and respond to the Zimbabwe migration crisis, improving through trainings, various capacity development though policy formulation and implementation and direct support to the affected and vulnerable population.

Context

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM Zimbabwe’s Humanitarian Response and Recovery Unit (HRRU) is responsible for overseeing and implementing programming that supports the Government of Zimbabwe and vulnerable populations to prevent displacement, mitigate migration crises, and advance solutions for recovery and resilience. HRRU’s programming covers key areas such as crisis preparedness, climate change adaptation, humanitarian operations, peacebuilding, recovery, and Cash-Based Interventions (CBIs).

The candidate will actively support the project through outreach activities focused on promoting social cohesion and safe, orderly migration. This exercise is aimed at developing a positive attitude towards returnees’ reintegration to facilitate an enabling environment favorable for future community-based interventions, as well as to support reintegration and social cohesion. The UN volunteer will support to the development of IEC materials specifically designed for outreach on safe and orderly migration. Additionally, the candidate will support the creation of communication materials aimed at enhancing the visibility of the project and effectively showcasing its goals and achievements. This United Nations Volunteer assignment is part of an IOM-led initiative aimed at strengthening peaceful, safe, and sustainable reintegration for returning migrants and host communities in Zimbabwe. The project emphasizes local ownership of the reintegration process by fostering collaborative engagement between returning migrants and host communities. It recognizes the diverse skills, assets, knowledge, and needs of both groups, with the goal of creating a harmonious environment where migrants can rebuild their lives and contribute meaningfully to local development.

Key Responsibilities

• Support in organizing and facilitating community outreach campaigns including community dialogues, roadshows, focus‑group discussions, and info sessions on safe migration, trafficking risks, and available services.
• Participate in the organization of meetings and workshops with key leaders, migrant youth and women’s groups in order to enhance safe migration messaging
• Assist with developing information products and disseminating information and/or outreach materials (pamphlets, booklets, posters, videos) on topics related to Safe Migration, including Mental Health, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA).
• Contribute to IOM’s risk assessments with feedback through suggestion boxes, brief surveys, and informal conversations from local communities,
• Support in the preparation of reports and support monitoring of project work plan with regards to outreach;
• Design and produce a variety of multimedia content, including posters, short videos, animations, and other visual materials to support strategic communication objectives.
• Support the collection, writing, and packaging of human-interest stories from the field that highlight program impact and bring visibility to key issues and beneficiaries.
• Draft clear, engaging copy for social media platforms, aligned with organizational messaging and tailored to target audiences.
• Contribute creative ideas for visibility and outreach, including brainstorming concepts to enhance the visibility of project activities and donor engagement.

Required Skills and Experience

1 year of experience and/or interest in community outreach, awareness-raising, and the creation of multimedia communication materials, particularly on topics such as safe migration, trafficking prevention, and protection. This includes supporting participatory activities (e.g. dialogues, focus groups), drafting human-interest stories, and contributing to project visibility and reporting efforts.

Core Competencies

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organizing
• Professionalism
• Self-management
• Integrity
• Respect for diversity
• Commitment to continuous learning

Living Conditions

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan.

You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.
The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.