Kuria, Kenya: Before the referendum, tension that included hostile speeches from community leaders and local councillors became the order of the day. I constantly alerted the security team within the district to be watchful of an eminent attack by the Kuria on other communities in support of the then draft law. Read

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

Monrovia, Liberia: In River Gee the prison facility is managed by volunteers. I always try to identify myself with them, to appreciate and recognize their contribution. I also caution them to always use their skills and time to bring positive change within their communities. Read

Pristina, Kosovo: This was a dream came true... Way back during my boyhood in Kenya, I used to see people building schools, hospitals and so on. Upon enquiry I came to realize they were volunteers, and I would ask myself how I could be one of them. Read

Tonkolili, Sierra Leone: As Operations Advisor, I came up with an approach to strengthen the working relationship with the political parties. I proposed through the NEC that a committee should be formed, which would include three representatives from each party. The move was welcomed and with the blessings of NEC Commissioner, the Peace and Reconciliation Committee was formed... Ever since, the political parties have entered dialogue as friends. Read

Juba, Sudan: I wear two caps: I have both administrative and technical responsibilities. As the Officer-in-Charge, I am responsible for the daily running of the office... As technical staff, my daily tasking includes performing spatial analyses as part of mission spatial decision support systems. Read