"Overall, my visit to Baltistan was incredible. The students and citizens of this region are full of hope for their futures, but are in need of technical support and resources to help them achieve this vision of excellence," explains Kate Anderson Simons, who has been supporting GRACE Association Pakistan as an online volunteer since 2007.

An education consultant focusing on children affected by poverty, armed conflict, and lack of educational opportunities, she hopes that "through continued collaboration, the GRACE staff, partners, and volunteers can make this vision a reality." Read

New York, United States: In June 2011, UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri spoke on the occasion of the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) Briefing to NGOs in New York. She focused on youth, a significant resource for volunteering: "Youth are not the problem, they are part of the solution". Read

New York, United States: UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri attended the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board in June 2011 in New York. She emphasized the need to acknowledge volunteerism in various ways, "in particular not as an afterthought, but as an intentional component of programmes designed to promote national ownership and the development of national capacities". Read

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: UNV Kyrgyzstan brought together seven volunteers from the Peace Corps and three from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to learn about solar barrel heaters and how to construct them. Read

Maseru, Lesotho: Janice Lachman serves as an international UNV volunteer at the highest levels in Lesotho to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS can get the nutrition and services they need. Read