Gbarnga, Liberia: Taking Liberia from its violent past into lasting development will take the commitment and cooperation of every stakeholder in the nation's future. But a gently guiding hand goes a long way towards bringing people together. Read

Nangina, Kenya: UNV volunteer Nivah 'Tiga' Odwori, who died in the Haiti earthquake on 12 January, has been laid to rest in her native Kenya. The funeral was attended by about 350 people. Read

Bonn, Germany: The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is deeply saddened by the death of UNV volunteer Ms. Nivah Odwori, 36, of Kenya who died in the Haiti earthquake. Ms. Odwori was among the UNV volunteers whose details could not be confirmed after the earthquake struck. Read

You should have rationed your greed
and paid her heed, when she told you not to cut down forest trees,
but you did not see the wisdom of her pleas,
and now the taps are dry. Read

Khartoum, Sudan: UNV volunteer Astrede Karimi Mbaka provides mapping services which help the UN plan the complex logistics of a peacekeeping mission.

"I felt I needed to contribute my knowledge and skills for peace and development. I learnt about UNV, logged onto the website and found out what I had to do," she says. Read