Aman Kumar is a 21 years old youth from Tyodhi Village of the District Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. He is pursuing bachelor in social work from Indira Gandhi National Open University and engaged in social development activities. He joined the U-Report India in the year 2021 as a U-Reporter and actively participated in different sessions of the platform including the Mission LiFE Tasks, Passport 2 Earning, Kindness Matters, FunDoo Task, Opinion Polls, Youth Hub testing etc.
For his engagement on the platform, he earned over 10,000 points and referred over 150 youth. He is one of those few U-Reporters who have been selected for the first cohort of U-Ambassadors Program 2023 for U-Report India. As a National U-Ambassador, He has designed the official emblem of U-Ambassadors Program, contributed to the development of official website and currently serving as the Leader of a subsection of the U-Ambassador group.
Recently, he attended the 4th year celebration of YuWaah at UNICEF India Headquarters, New Delhi where he was awarded the Most Valuable U-Reporter Award 2023 by the U-Report India Country Manager Abhishek Bujor Barua and Digital Communication & Youth Engagement Officer Amitayush Priyadarshi.
On 6th Nov 2023, He got the opportunity to attend the U-Ambassador Website Launching Event at Unicef India HQ New Delhi where Gibson Riungu, Chief of Information Technology and Digital Innovation and other Unicef India officials appreciated his work.
Engagement Story #1: Popularizing U-Report India among BS&G Volunteers
On October 15, 2023, Aman was attending the Mission Shakti 4.O event organized by District Administration Baghpat. In the event, he saw that some BS&G Volunteers and NYKS Volunteers were also participating. He started interacting with them about their organization and their work as a Volunteer. During the conversation, Volunteers asked curiously about Aman and his background and Aman took it as a great opportunity to introduce UNICEF India and U-Report.
Aman shared the unique features of the platform with volunteers and asked them to sign up on the platform using the whatsapp number. All the volunteers signed up on the platform within the next 5 minutes and they were thankful to Aman for suggesting such meaningful platform where they can engage in different activities and get recognition as well. In this small advocacy event, around 20 individuals were onboarded successfully to the U-Report India platform.
On that day, One NYKS Volunteer named Rishabh Dhaka found the Mission LiFE tasks to be easily adoptable and pledged to lead an environmentally conscious lifestyle, earning him the title of Mission LiFE Champion. Furthermore, He shared his interest to support Aman in local community events. Another story features Sanyam Singh who was struggling with learning English. He was glad to know about the Learn English Speaking feature and felt confident.
Engagement Story #2: Children’s Day Celebration and Youth Awareness Session at Baghpat Global School
On November 9, 2023, Aman collaborated with Baghpat Global School to organize the U-Report Advocacy Session, a unique initiative aimed at promoting youth awareness and engagement. The session began with a briefing on the purpose of UNICEF India and its work in the country, setting the stage for an interactive and informative event.
To make the session engaging and fun, an essay competition on the topic of "Holistic Development of Children," which is a focus area for UNICEF India, was organized. Around 50 students participated in two batches, expressing their understanding of the topic and their opinions through their essays. The participants were enthusiastic and happy to be a part of the competition, making it a super-engaging activity.
Following the essay competition, the Youth Awareness Session commenced, led by National U-Ambassador Aman Kumar and his volunteer friend Rishabh Dhaka. The session began with an interactive discussion, where students were encouraged to share their aspirations, dreams, achievements, and talents. Additionally, the students were asked about their knowledge of UNICEF India, fostering a sense of curiosity and engagement among them.
To further engage the students, a thought-provoking question was posed: "What is the most important thing that plays a vital role in our journey towards our dreams?" The students provided various answers, including opportunity, dedication, good luck, talent, skills, and motivation. Most of them agreed that having knowledge and skills is essential for success in any career and achieving their dreams. This led to the introduction of FunDoo for Life skills and career exploration, Passport2Earning for skill development, career guidance, and more.
During the session, it was discovered that the students were interested in learning English but were unaware of the available resources. The English Speaking Skills activity on U-Report India was introduced to them, providing a valuable learning opportunity. Additionally, the students were informed about other features of U-Report, such as Mission LiFE Awareness tasks, participating in polls on different topics, and developing their understanding of mental health.
Aman and Rishabh demonstrated the U-Report India WhatsApp chatbot using a smartphone, and the students were encouraged to note down the official WhatsApp number - 9650414141. They were also informed about the availability of the U-Report India chatbot on Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger.
Towards the end of the session, the results of the essay competition were announced, with Gauri Thakur of 11th class securing the first position, Sachchidanand Dubey of 9th class securing the second position, and Aadiba of 9th class securing the third position. These students were rewarded with certificates and prizes, recognizing their efforts and achievements.
In conclusion, Volunteer Rishabh Dhaka distributed informative pamphlets to the students, featuring the official WhatsApp number and social media handles of U-Report India. He expressed his gratitude towards the school director, Gajendra Singh, principal Dheeraj Sharma, Vice Principal Anit Sharma, Coordinator Deepak Kushwaha, Shrikant, Sachin, and all the students. The session came to an end, leaving a lasting impact on the students and fostering a strong connection to the U-Report India platform and its wide range of opportunities.
1. Aapki Khabar: https://aapkikhabar.com/local/youth-awareness-session-motivates-students-to-join-u-report/cid12681655.html
2. Janta se Rishta: https://jantaserishta.com/national/students-were-motivated-to-join-u-report-in-youth-awareness-session-599063
3. Citi Update: https://citiupdate.com/news/detailNews/84569
Author: Saloni Gautam
