UNICEF Launches Life Skills Chatbot for Youth

Jamaican youth now have access to a life skills WhatsApp-based chatbot, FunDoo, an initiative of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

FunDoo was launched in partnership with Flow, Digicel, Project STAR and HEART/NSTA Trust at the National Commercial Bank (NCB) Wellness and Recreational Centre in Kingston, on Wednesday (December 6).

The digital life coach, which originated in India, offers essential skills such as résumé writing, interpersonal relationship management, career guidance, time management, critical thinking and budgeting.

Prior to the launch, more than 200 Jamaican young people, including students from the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf, actively engaged in focus groups to ensure that the chatbot was culturally appropriate.

In her keynote address, Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Skills and Digital Transformation, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, highlighted that UNICEF’s commitment to the welfare and development of Jamaican children has been exemplary.

In commending UNICEF on the launch of FunDoo, she noted that the true measure of preparedness for the working world lies in the cultivation of soft skills.

“The potential of technology like FunDoo for social and economic development in Jamaica is immense. Our young people need a lot of support. They may not get it at home; it may not be available in school or in the community, and that’s what FunDoo is. It’s that partner that’s with you, whispering to you that it can help you in areas that you may be deficient in,” Senator Morris Dixon said.

UNICEF Jamaica Country Representative, Olga Isaza, shared that her organisation is keenly interested in supporting the country’s national priorities for youth – reaching and engaging youth who are not employed, not in school, nor enrolled in any form of training.

“Aligned with our 21st Century Skills Framework, FunDoo will address relevant employment skills, beginning with a set of essential soft skills highlighted by youth, including emotional management, identifying strengths, and finding mentorship,” Ms. Isaza said, adding that a new task will be released every two weeks.

For her part, UNICEF Jamaica Project Manager, Danielle Mullings, shared that the telecommunications companies will provide zero-rated access to FunDoo and offer incentives to users in the form of credit.

Ms. Mullings indicated that FunDoo is inclusive, in that, the chatbot can communicate with users via voice note to facilitate the blind or those who are not sufficiently literate.

“FunDoo is more than a chatbot. It’s a gateway to a world of possibilities where young Jamaicans can acquire crucial life skills, ignite their potential, and ultimately shape their own destinies. It is a symbol of hope and empowerment,” she remarked.

How to register:

Send the word “FunDoo” to UNICEF’s U-Report WhatsApp number, 876-838-4897.

You will then be prompted to register.

Once registered, you will receive notifications encouraging you to complete various skill-building tasks.