Bonn, Germany: Uganda-born UNV gender specialist Christine Musisi received one of the highest honours bestowed upon a foreigner by the Mongolian Government: the Friendship (Nairamdal) Medal. Read

Bonn, Germany: One of Rwanda's main priorities - and also one of its great challenges - is the reinsertion of some two million refugees and displaced persons (most of them widows and orphans) into the country's socio-economic life. To aid in this delicate and crucial process, 13 UNV field workers are working since early 1997 in 5 Rwandan prefectures. Read

Bonn, Germany: This is a story about Alaf, a 20-year old seamstress from Yemen. Alaf is deaf. She finished two years of vocational training in sewing in the Martyr Fadel El Halali Centre for vocational training for the disabled. The centre was established in 1989 by a UNDP/ILO project in co-operation with the Ministry of Social Affairs in Sana'a, Yemen. Read

Osh, Kyrgyzstan: Sharapat Abduloeve is 75 years old and she’s from Kara-Dykan village, about 60 km from Osh here in Kyrgyzstan. She wanted the poor children of her village to be able to attend kindergarten, and to do so all year round, through the harsh winter too. She received US$ 1,000 from our project to buy and install heating equipment so that the Ak-Shoola Kindergarten could do just that. Read

Bonn, Germany: In Santo Domingo, at the Institute for Training of Women, a workshop was held in May for the new UNV Gender Specialists and their UNDP Gender Focal Point counterparts which are based in 18 UNDP Country Offices worldwide. Read