23 June 2005

Bonn, Germany: In the Tanzanian capital of Dar-es-Salaam, UNV is helping some 1,300 informal construction workers overcome poverty by accessing better paying jobs and tackling issues relating to industry regulations. In partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the engineering department of Dar- es-Salaam University, teams of UN Volunteers have organized the workers according to their respective areas of expertise and set up evening classes in subjects such as carpentry, masonry and electrical installation at a local vocational training institution. Addressing the need to provide the workers official recognition by the government and the private sector, the UN Volunteers have also helped develop a constitution so that groups can register with the Tanzanian Ministry of Trade and Industry. To date, 26 groups have prepared a constitution; of these, nine have registered and can now place bids on government tenders. Moving forward, additional schemes, including health insurance to protect the members from workplace injury as well as cover their family’s medical needs, are now being put in place.

Preserving natural heritage in a time of rapid economic growth is at the centre of a joint project of UNV and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) underway in Viet Nam’s Ha Long Bay – a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. Situated 160 km southeast of Hanoi, the bay is at risk of being destroyed by factors such as over-fishing and deforestation. To prevent this, the project partners have teamed up with Viet Nam’s Youth Union to raise awareness of the bay’s importance and mobilize local volunteers in activities to protect the bay’s natural integrity. One such example was the planting of five hectares, or 12 acres, of mangrove trees in early 2004 by the UNV project team and youth volunteers to protect the bay’s coastline and provide a breeding ground for fish – a key source of income in the region.

In Lao PDR, UN Volunteer Kulwant Singh of India promotes economic sustainability through small income-generation. Stationed in Hôngsa, a remote mountainous village in Sayaboury province, Kulwant works as a management adviser supporting the UNDP Northern Sayaboury Rural Development project. Outside of his regular job, he has been helping destitute female-headed households – mainly widows and divorcees – to form self-help groups. With just a small budget, the groups now have chicken and pig rearing facilities, a grinding machine to produce feed and natural fertilizer, and the know-how to properly use the equipment and care for the animals. Already, by selling their goods at the local market, they are earning a better income. In ensuring the longer-term sustainability of the project, Kulwant has helped the women establish a centre for continued training and exchange of ideas. Recognizing the project’s success in transforming the women’s lives, provincial authorities intend to replicate similar income-generation projects elsewhere in the country.