With the spirit of volunteering deeply rooted in her, Fatouma has always had the drive to empower young people. Her journey started in Geneva where she interned with the Permanent Mission of Djibouti to the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Armed with knowledge and experience, and having youth empowerment at heart, she returned to Djibouti to volunteer as Regional Coordinator and Youth Development Delegate with UNDP. Within her assignment, she has been implementing the Youth Leadership Programme (YLP) in her country since 2021.

Medical, technical, administration and communications expertise

Volunteers have contributed to the success of our strategic deliverables at all levels in the field and the region. --Othman Belbeisi, IOM Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa 

The journey of Ghita (27) in protection and promotion of refugees’ rights began while she was still in high school. She was selected for an internship in Geneva, Switzerland, where she was introduced to an association active in the promotion of human rights. This experience laid the foundation for her future endeavors to contribute to development and assist refugees and asylum seekers.

Jean Bosco Bavuge embarked on his volunteering journey with MINURSO as a Water and Sanitation technician in 2021. Aiming to achieve efficiency and minimize risks, he facilitates the optimized utilization of natural resources. Jean's expertise lies in designing effective water and wastewater treatment facilities, while ensuring compliance with international safety and environmental standards. He actively shares his extensive knowledge to strengthen his colleagues’ capacity, including military peacekeepers, in the realm of water and waste management.

Christina Sfeir (Lebanon) is currently completing her second assignment as an Online Volunteer with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). She is offering her expertise in clinical psychology as an online counsellor for family members of OCHA staff in Sudan. Earlier this year, Christina provided similar services through OCHA to children of survivors of the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.

The volunteering opportunities were with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Human Rights (OHCHR), UN Women and UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). They aim at building the women UN Volunteers capacities, while raising their awareness of gender and protection concepts. They also promoted their participation in recovery efforts and increased their resilience, particularly as many were affected by the May 2021 escalation in Gaza.

Engaging with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has been rewarding. UNV has helped me develop my confidence, leadership and communication skills, make new friends and become a Global Goals Advocate. On my path to UNV, I was involved in community service throughout my years in school and participated in the Youth Leadership Programme (YLP) launched by UNDP. 

Serving as a Public Health Specialist with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Khartoum, national UN Volunteer Mohamed Maher Saad works closely with the Federal Ministry of Health in data collection. He is supporting the development of a digital library which will make a health database and research available to medical personnel and students, who can also use it to publish studies and research papers.

Raymonda Chamoun, Ghiwa Farah and Youssef Saab serve with UNDP Lebanon in water and irrigation engineering. Together, they support the Environment, Climate and Energy Programme to better manage the country's natural resources. They operate in collaboration with local municipalities and civil society organizations.