Lalomanu, Samoa: Whether it's earthquakes, tsunamis or extreme weather, when disaster strikes it's not the aid and rescue agencies who are the first on the scene to assist. It's volunteers who were there already. Read

Arusha, Tanzania: Though refugees escaping conflict at home have it tough, there are still ways to minimize their impact on the environment. Shiferaw Mekonnen from UNHCR explains how voluntary efforts led to halving the amount of firewood needed by refugees in Tanzania, and how they planted millions of seedlings to help replace the forests. Read

Yokahama, Japan: UNV is showcasing the importance of volunteerism in Africa at the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) conference. UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri and UNV Chief of the Africa Region Michele Falavigna are attending in order to contribute to the conference and its output documents (such as the Yokahama Declaration and Plan of Action), and to discuss UNV's activities with the Japanese and African media. The conference runs from 28-30 May in Yokohama, Japan. Read

Bonn, Germany: When Olexiy Vitte, a radiologist, and his wife Nataliya Vinnytska, a neurology specialist, arrived in Zanzibar, the people of Tanzania's largest island gladly welcomed their expertise. With no doctors working in these fields, thousands of Zanzibaris had no one to consult for the professional medical advice they offer. Read

The United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) has a strong presence in Tanzania with 44 UN Volunteers -- 33 international and 11 national -- working in community development, health care, humanitarian relief, information technology and many other fields. UN Volunteers' current contribution to Tanzania Today, UN Volunteers are providing support to a number of new initiatives in Tanzania. Read