Tashkent, Uzbekistan: It was a great honour for me, as the national IYV+10 Coordinator in Uzbekistan, to participate in the celebration of the birth of the United Nations. We provided our visitors with information about UNV activities and initiatives, and I referred people to our Facebook page, which I was happy to find most of them were already following.

These posts not only include reports about our activities, but also contain links to various competitions, educational opportunities, contests, projects and programmes that people can get involved in. Read

Kampala, Uganda: “We were happy to have successfully tested the RapidFTR tool because, through it, thousands of children can find the way back to their families,” say Nele Bostoen and Eleonora Mansi, UN Volunteers with the Child Protection team of UNICEF Uganda.  RapidFTR or Rapid Family Tracing and Reunification is a new technology that allows quick input of essential data about a child on a mobile phone. Read

Kampala, Uganda: “For me, volunteering with UNICEF is such a tremendous opportunity that has changed me," says Harriet Christine Elasu, UNV Finance Officer with UNICEF Uganda.  Harriet is always happy to provide extra support and guidance where it is needed, particularly in the areas of accounting and financial management, and in proper record-keeping. Read

Lima, Peru: "I feel fortunate to be part of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, as I have had the opportunity to learn a great deal during my tenure, as well as to give something in return towards improving programmes and policies for people in my region," says Henry Armas, UNV HIV/AIDS Programme Officer with UNICEF's Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office. Henry is the focal point for knowledge management initiatives on HIV/AIDS. Read

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: “Having fairly escaped illiteracy myself, I felt it was a must for me to help others,” says Denis Yameogo, UN Volunteer with UNICEF Democratic Republic of Congo. Denis supports UNICEF’s child protection work by giving communities the capacity to address child protection issues. Read

Gitega, Burundi: “[W]ith fascination and happiness I observed how women and men from the community discussed, argued and organized what is essentially the lynchpin of the child protection system being built in Burundi,” says Masala Boly, a UNV Intern involved in Child Protection and Rights Promotion. Masala supports UNICEF child protection work and the promotion of children’s rights in Gitega, a small provincial town at the centre of Burundi. Read

Egypt: "[A]ssisting a team of wonderfully talented and fully dedicated women to bring about positive change in the behavior of many Egyptian children and families (in matters of hygiene, non-violence, nutrition and more) is where I have found the most joy in my experience,” says Dalia Ashour who supports the Communication for Development Section.  Dalia promotes healthy living, hygienic practices and nutrition, and has also participated in emergency responses. Read

Nairobi, Kenya: “It is inspiring to be able to engage with communities and understand the challenges they are facing,"says Daisy Serem, UNV Assistant Communication Officer. Daisy makes regular field trips to highlight the work being done to ensure every child receives proper nutrition and health services, clean water and sanitation facilities, and an adequate level of care and protection. Read

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: "As a volunteer, I have learned a new perspective on how to approach and tackle problems, and so far the experience could not have been more enriching," says Annalisa Staffa, UNV HIV Official Assistant. Annalisa spends most of her time in maternity hospitals making sure new-born babies come to life free of HIV and syphilis. Read

Dili, Timor-Leste: Shoko Fujita, UNV Child Protection Officer with UNICEF Timor-Leste, travels throughout the country conducting interviews with members of child protection networks to prepare for a nationwide advocacy campaign to raise public awareness of children’s rights in 2012. “I expect that the campaign will help children understand their right to access social and legal services,” says Shoko. Read