As soon as I landed at the airport, loud French voices reminded me of how not francophone Burundi is, because Kirundi, our national language, does most of the work. I was at first nervous, for I hadn’t really used the language since high school. But as soon as I settled in, French eased its way back in during my conversations with colleagues, neighbors, and taxi drivers. The latter would always greet me with a "Tu es gabonaise?" (Are you Gabonese) full of suspicion, and I would wonder how striking it was that I was not from here.

Franck Ndohessengar (37) is a UN Volunteer Technical Associate and Project Management Engineer, based in eastern Chad. His mission is a direct response to the ongoing war in Sudan, which has resulted in a large influx of refugees.

The Great Green Wall, an African-led initiative, aims to restore Africa's degraded landscapes and transform millions of lives in one of the world's most vulnerable regions, the Sahel. The initiative aligns perfectly with the broader sustainable development goals of the United Nations. It addresses 15 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including challenges such as climate change, desertification, drought, famine, conflict and migration.  

Seven UN Volunteers are serving with UNCCD and the Panafrican Agency for the GGWI in West and Central Africa. They are based in Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. Their collective endeavors exemplify how the GGWI goes beyond 'simply' planting trees. It aims to improve livelihoods and combat climate change on a continental scale.

One of the foundational data layers needed for the development of efficient approaches to solar energy expansion is information on solar mini-grid installations. These offer a sustainable and affordable solution to expand energy access, particularly in remote areas with high sun exposure. 

The DRC has faced myriad challenges, ranging from significant humanitarian assistance needs and chronic underdevelopment to political instability and protracted armed conflict in the Eastern part of the country. Humanitarian, development and peace actors are all present to support the government and the population with its recovery and development pathway.

At the heart of this community-driven initiative are three UN Community Volunteers assigned to FAO: Fatoumata Ka, Abdoulahat Ngom and Amadou Fall.  

Fatoumata T., Fatoumata S. and Ismail were actively engaged in sensitization events and engaging with communities on human rights. They conducted research, collected data and created content for dissemination. Their assignments as UN University Volunteers lasted six months, and their contributions were appreciated by OHCHR. 

In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and International Labour Organization (ILO), Alex has made strides in improving the capacity and motivation of health workers to adopt digitalization in health data management. 

Dr Sonia Bako (Niger) is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with UNFPA. On her watch at Buba Health Centre, Quinara region, maternal deaths have been reduced drastically.