Vacus Wilmont Kun

Director-Education and Training
United Workers’ Union of Liberia (UWUL)
Liberia

Vacus Wilmont Kun is a Trade Union Leader and Advocate for rights of workers including women and marginalize groups.

Vacus was born January 17, 1976 in the city of Harper, Maryland County, Liberia where he spent his early childhood life growing up in the beautiful port city of Harper.

He attended the Our Lady of Fatima Elem & Sr. High School and graduated from the Tabou II High School, Cote d’Ivoire in 1997 (WAAC certificate & diploma) when he was a refugee due to the civil war in Liberia.   Vacus is a graduate of the Tabou Vocational Institute (diploma) with studies in Business Management. Upon return to Liberia, enroll at the University of Liberia and obtained a Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) and is candidate for Graduate degree in Business Administration at the same University.

In 2013 Vacus attended a training in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA sponsored by Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) and was certificated in Advocacy Planning & Implementation. Vacus hold several certificates including; Leadership, M&E, Women Housing & Land Rights, Village saving Loan (VSLA) Sponsor by Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Monrovia, Liberia, Action for Child Rights, Prevention and Response of Gender Based Violence sponsored by the Minisrty of Gender and Social Protection of Liberia/NRC, Peer Education, Food Management, HIV/AID sponsored by International Rescue Committee(IRC) etc

Work Experience/Accomplishment

Vacus has over 15 years of experience in humanitarian work, working with both Governmental, International Non-Governmental Organizations in Liberia and the Cote d’ivoire.  

Presently (2018- present) serving as Director-Education & Training at the United Workers’ Union of Liberia (UWUL) involved with reorganizing & organizing of workers in new shops, training of Union Leaders on Occupational Health & Safety, Collective Bargaining, Development of Collective proposal, Grievance handling, Gender mainstreaming. Coordinate with key partners (Solidarity Center Liberia, IndustriALL, United Steel Workers, ITF etc) in addressing training needs of UWUL national staff and local leaders. Assist in the development of Youth & Women programs.

Over the period(2011-2014, Vacus served as Gender Based Violence Senior Project Officer Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Monrovia, Liberia responsible in; assisting the Project Manager in the coordination and implementation of  NRC ‘WISE’ project in Margibi, Nimba, Bong and Montserrado Counties, ensuring the project was coordinated and well networked with counties and national stakeholders, training of staff in GBV prevention and response best practice, training of protection actors(LNP, UNMIL, LNGO, community youth, women, men etc) on GBV prevention and response including a strong focus on the legal rights of GBV survivors, the development of training tools, monitoring and evaluation of the project through the project cycle, management and training of Counties GBV Taskforce members on the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection data collection tools and the SGBV referral pathway, management of GBV field staff, assist in the implementation of media campaign.

Between 2007-2011 Vacus served as Child Welfare/Protection Officer at the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection, Montserrado County, Liberia playing a key role in directing and translating the Ministry of Gender program into strategic and result- oriented initiatives to facilitate the development of children in Montserrado County through formulating and executing plans that improved the Welfare and advancement of children, especially the girl child, and women in Montserrado, disseminating the human rights principles of children through information, education and communication (IEC), built alliance among children’s groups, support the strengthening of their organizations (Children Clubs, Children Assembly, Liberia Children Parliament) to enable them play a catalytic role in social cohesion and change, Intervened in cases of Child Rights Violation and report to the Children Division, Ministry of Gender Children & Social Protection or refer cases to appropriate partners /agencies.

As a refugee in the Cote d’Ivoire (2004-2006) Vacus worked tirelessly as a Peer Educator IRC / UNHCR in thetraining of refugee children in peer collaboration in combating HIV/AIDS etc. reporting cases or child rights violation of refugee’s children & conducting training on GBV and child rights.