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Join U-Report, Your voice matters.
About us

U-Report is a social messaging tool, pioneered by UNICEF, that is designed to give Jamaican youth a greater voice on issues of national importance. The tagline for U-Report is actually Voice Matters! In May 2018, Jamaica became the first country in the Caribbean to launch U-Report, joining a global movement of over 17 million U-Reporters.


How it works


U-Reporters sign up voluntarily. There are currently four (4) ways for anyone aged 13-29 to become a U-Reporter:

1. SMS: Thanks to support from FLOW, their customers can sign up free via SMS, no data plan needed. Text the word JOIN to 876-838-4897.

2. Facebook Messenger: Send the word JOIN to @ureportjamaica

3. WhatsApp: Just message the word JOIN to 876-838-4897.

4. Instagram: DM the word JOIN to @ureportjamaica


On signing up, only three questions are asked: gender, age and parish. We do not ask for names because the data we collect is anonymous. Once signed up, the new U-Reporter starts receiving polls, which are sent twice a month. Each poll is delivered as a message conversation, i.e. we send a question and the replies prompt auto-generated responses from us until the poll is complete. A U-Report poll sent in the morning currently gains at least 500 responses by the end of Day 1.


A team of young people – the U-Report Youth Council – help to run U-Report. Their guidance includes sharing their ideas on topics and questions for polls. Organisations are welcome to suggest polls on relevant issues affecting children and youth.


The data from U-Report polls is made available to the public in real-time on our website. We share results with colleagues, the media and partners, including government and NGOs.


Why it matters


At the heart of U-Report is an acknowledgement that youth need to have a say in decisions about their own lives, and that typically decision-makers don’t ask for their perspectives.


Since our launch, more than 13,000 U-Reporters have opted-in. They’ve shared their voices on a range of issues. Several polls have exceeded the national sample size of 1,000, such as our Youth Mental Health and Suicide poll – with 1,090 U-Reporters weighing in – helping to kick off a national discussion on the issue.


What’s next


We are experimenting and learning! We know for a fact that the more we engage youth and stakeholders, the more effective U-Report can become. We’ve run hands-on sessions with youth to do custom/private polling, and done polls on behalf of partner organisations – requests are welcome! We are adding a new channel soon that we hope will significantly expand our pool of U-Reporters. And we are looking at how we can ensure that poll results lead to strong advocacy and tangible results.


See by the numbers how we are engaging youth voices for positive social change.
EXPLORE ENGAGEMENT
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