Simuka Africa Team Briefing: August 7, 2026
Hello, All:
We hope you’ve had a great week! Welcome to your second month of Q3 2026 volunteer service with SimukaAfrica.org! Please note the following:
Due to website maintenance, we are still scheduling article content through Wednesday. Thank you for your patience with our response times.
The next Q3 Creative Career Focus Staff Meeting is scheduled for next Saturday, August 22nd on the HeyPeers platform. Register here.
Staff Open Call: SDG 3 & 13 Nature Photography — Any volunteers with outdoor photos showing the beauty of Zimbabwe or your local region, submit them! Let’s encourage the global community to use nature, photography, & exercise for mental health wellness. Deadline: August 31st.
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🚩 Humanitarian Crisis Notification 🚩
Be advised:
The 34 Gallery has a high number of individuals experiencing suicidal ideation, grief from recent loss, and severe burnout participating in art therapy at this time.
We strongly encourage you to like & comment on the artwork featured on our social media to support them through their struggles.
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Administrative Updates
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Questions about assignments or protocol? Respond to this Briefing or email [email protected].
Staff Positions: At this time, we are looking for a Volunteer Editor and a Volunteer Curation Assistant. If interested, send a 25 word bio and profile image for your listing on our staff page. Deadline: August 15th.
Note: Members of our team will attend World Water Week from Sunday, August 23rd - 27th. All questions, concerns, and recommendation requests should be submitted prior to these dates for timely response.
July Stats
Open Calls Finalized: 2 (Recovery & Bridges)
Simuka Africa Journal Articles: 7
Interlude Articles: 7
Graphics: 64
Videos: 5
Thank you for your incredible work! ❤
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The September Social Media Calendar
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The next deadline for assignments is August 30th.
Email all submissions to [email protected]. Check our website and social media for examples of what we publish.
Art Submissions: The 34 Gallery Open Call instructions are here.
Virtual Publications: Articles are 700 words minimum. Submissions can also include up to 4 graphics or artworks.
Graphic Design & Video: Graphics should be submitted in batches of 4, 8 or 12. Video must be 2 minutes or less.
Email us your selected topic first to reserve a spot on the publication calendar.
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Suggested Topic List
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Simuka Africa Volunteers have successfully attained employment, internships, Fellowships, and other positions based on their active publication history with us. Report summaries in particular provide an edge in the job interview process.
If you have time in your schedule to complete one of these, notify us with your selected topic by responding to this briefing or emailing us directly:
SDG 3: Time Management tips for full time work + college schedules
SDG 3: Parenting a youth with a mental health diagnosis
SDG 4: Parenting tips to assist youth struggling with academics
SDG 4: Tips for new undergraduates just starting college — critical need
SDG 5: Returning to work after maternity leave
SDG 8: The A.I. Interview - tips and suggestions to interview well
SDG 8: Working Aboard - personal experiences and advice
SDG 8: Learning a new language for work: tips for success
SDG 13: The story of glaciers & why they matter
UNFPA Report Summary: Lives, Choices and Futures - Demographic Futures Survey — critical need
Can’t make the deadline? Things happen. Just notify us so your task can be reassigned. However, be advised that Simuka Africa is unable to issue recommendation letters or UNV reports on your behalf without a record of submitted assignments during the quarter.
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The United Nations System: An Introduction
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Global Insights:
The UN & Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe’s Youth Stand at the Heart of UNFPA’s “Lives, Choices and Futures”
Intro to the FAO Food Price Index
UN Update: Ebola in DR Congo
UNV: LeadForward – Our Career & Leadership Masterclass, understanding the UN System - Aug. 17th
Training: The UN Tourism Online Academy (Hospitality Careers)
Training: The UNDP SDG Finance Academy is offering 16 free self-paced online courses designed for learners worldwide.
Training: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is offering 16 FREE online courses covering every aspect of intellectual property—from beginner to advanced level.
Training: The UN CC:Learn Open Online Course on Gender and Environment is now open for global learners.
Training: Women Leadership in Climate Action — Free global online course from UNITAR & C40 including a UN digital certificate.
Training: Global Youth Climate Training Programme 2026 — Free online training in climate policy and advocacy from the University of Oxford.
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United Nations Employment
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UN Careers - the primary UN career hub
UNJOBNET - daily job listings for the entire UN System
UNJOBNET: Remote Positions - daily updated UN remote work
OECD Careers site — Current Job Vacancies
UN Women Corporate Action Lab 2026 — Philippines — deadline Aug. 15th
Applications are now open for the AERC–World Bank Visiting Scholars Program 2026/2027! This prestigious fellowship offers selected scholars the opportunity to spend 4–6 months at the World Bank, access world-class research resources, and contribute to Africa's development agenda.
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A.I. Policy, News & Jobs
Our Simuka Africa A.I. Organizational Policy can be found here. It also includes direct links to the A.I. Tools most asked about in job interviews. Additional news:
AI News: Updates
UN News: In Somalia, AI is helping deliver food to hungry families
TEDxVUAmsterdam: The future is being conditioned, not just coded — Marie-Lou Poirrier
Cybersecurity: A.I. was involved in some capacity in 55% of cybercrime cases reported by surveyed African countries in 2025, according to INTERPOL.
Introduction to The Hyper Index
DIGWatch: The first substantive session of the Global Mechanism on ICTs: Priorities to the table
A.I. & Tech Job Opportunities
Data Annotation: Train AI as a Medical Expert
Data Annotation: Train AI as a Legal Expert
All Tech Is Human Job Board — Ethical AI Jobs
Applications open 17 August 2026 for the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science African Faculty Fellows Program 2027—a prestigious 2-year fellowship combining AI research training in the U.S. with impactful AI projects across Africa.
Applications are open for the MIT School Access and Quality (SAQ) Fellowship 2026–2027—a prestigious one-year programme empowering education leaders to advance equitable school access, strengthen policy, and responsibly leverage AI.
Applications are open for the paid UNU Innovation & Education Programme Internship 2026–2027 in Tokyo, offering hands-on experience in AI, sustainability, education, and the SDGs within the United Nations system.
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Opportunities
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Career Tip, I: Who else could you become? — Dmitrii Kim | TEDxOxford
Career Tip, II: The Creative Arts in Medicine, The Missing Prescription? — Dr. Kelly Barnett | TEDxWest Vancouver
Career Tip, III: Job security is disappearing—what replaces it? |— Susan Huang | TEDxNYU Shanghai
The University of Manchester Equity and Merit Scholarships 2027–2028 are now accepting applications from outstanding students from Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Just One More Foundation is dedicated to inspiring hope and providing opportunity for individuals who have experienced hardships and the organizations
that serve them. (US)The Olympic Refuge Foundation Lived Experience Fellowship 2026–2027 is now accepting applications! This unique part-time, fully remote international Fellowship empowers people with lived experience of displacement to shape global research and policy.
The David Sainsbury International MSc Scholarships 2026/27 at the University of East Anglia (UEA), UK, offer an incredible opportunity to study the MSc in Global Plant Health.
Paid traineeship at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.
The Commonwealth Fellowship Programme 2027 offers a fully funded opportunity to undertake professional development or academic collaboration with leading UK institutions.
The Heinrich Böll Foundation is accepting applications for its Tailwind for Talents Scholarship 2026/2027, supporting outstanding international students from eligible DAC countries with funding, mentoring, and leadership development.
The Youth-ID Network of Multipliers 2026, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, is inviting youth workers and professionals to join a 12-month international programme designed to strengthen youth participation, promote inclusive design, and shape stronger communities across Europe.
The Rolex Explorers Club Grant sends extraordinary explorers into the field, advancing science, deepening our understanding of the environment, and connecting our history to our future. Awards are given in the amount of $10,000.
The TED-Ed Educator Talks Idea Workshop 2026 is a free virtual professional development workshop helping educators worldwide strengthen their public speaking, storytelling, and idea-development skills with guidance from TED-Ed.
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Food For Thought
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Self-care, I: 3 questions to help you age stronger, healthier, and happier — Dr. Brenda Lau | TEDxSurrey
In closing, please note that establishing a professional self-care regime is also recommended during your time with us. The goal is to present in your actual life, not just the one on-screen.
Avoid using your phone for the first hour of the day.
Manage your notifications for silence after 10pm.
Observe “no-tech” rule during meals, an hour before bed, and at gatherings.
This weekend, make time to create a memory by visiting a new place. ❤
— The Simuka Africa Team
May hope, peace & unity be with you.
