I brought back with me the greatest gift - being a volunteer with UNV gave me the opportunity to know and learn from the inside about such a different and interesting culture. Read

Local NGO Young Volunteers in Action (Y-via) sent positive health related messages to their peers through a one-day clean up activity supported by UNV. On the day of the activity we were blessed by bright sunshine. It was also the opportunity to launch the theme of International Volunteer Day 2009 – ‘Volunteering for Our Planet’. Read

"I have dedicated my spare time and money to teach these 30 people how to play volleyball. I was finally able to create not only a good team of players but a tight-knit group, which also allowed me to explain my role as a UNV volunteer in Chad and how important this experience is for me." Read

Every time I think I understand a situation, my perceptions are challenged again… I don’t think the learning will ever end! Read

As a UNV volunteer Intern at UNESCO Bangkok I saw that my colleagues were perhaps missing the grassroots experience in the community they were working in... That’s why I decided to try to develop a volunteer project that could involve members of my host UN organization. Read

My experience as UNV volunteer Intern in Cambodia is really an important step both in my professional career and in my personal life. Working as a UNV volunteer allows me to be closer to the ‘field’, compared to other UN positions which are sometimes distant from the reality of the communities. Read

During my time as a UNV volunteer, I feel I have achieved a lot. I have contributed to the reintegration of close to 120,000 ex-combatants, but also influenced change in the mindset of the people. Read

We provided them with the instruments and knowledge required to help overcome future natural disasters. Being a UNV volunteer placed me among the people in need and allowed me to walk with them through the difficult path of recovery. Read

Two people living with HIV/AIDS came to share their experiences with the participants. At the end of the training, more than 200 residents of both genders were directly reached and trained and more are expected to be reached through these informed participants. Read

I define myself as an active example of willingness to cooperate and help others and, when deemed necessary, to change the world to make it a better place to live in. Now, as a UNV volunteer with the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) I have been given a great opportunity to be part of a team. Read