Volunteering is an extremely important component for personal development. Through volunteering and helping others, individuals gain the opportunity to develop new skills, network and provide personal contributions to advance progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals within their communities.
The project sustaining peace and social cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina through enhanced inter-municipal and inter-entity cooperation on local services is implemented by UNDP in nine locations acorss the country. It engaged 18 UN Community Volunteers within their communities. At the beginning, two of them shared their positive stories and experiences about their volunteer engagement.
UN Community Volunteer Mirza Muratagić is engaged in the Ključ Centre for Social Welfare. Mirza has always had a desire to help others, especially the most vulnerable members of the community. Through previous engagements in non-governmental organizations, he found his way to volunteering for the UN. For Mirza, volunteering and humanitarian work is a path toward personal improvement and achieving higher goals.
I am happy that I got the opportunity to become a UN Community Volunteer. The fact that I am contributing to the community where I grew up and where I currently live makes me especially happy and gives me additional honour and pleasure. This is a great challenge for me and an ideal opportunity to learn important things for my future career development. I believe that every individual should experience the feeling one gets from volunteering. --Mirza Muratagić, UN Community Volunteer with UNDP, Bosnia and Herzegovina
"Very often, through different field activities, we can see happiness on the faces of those who are vulnerable," Mirza continues. "I cannot emphasize enough the importance of providing psychosocial support to others; sometimes even a short conversation can boost someone's day."
Zorica Srdić, a national UN Community Volunteer engaged in the Glamoč Centre for Social Welfare, also spoke about the importance of volunteering. She emphasizes that the biggest reward for her is participating in counseling in the process of overcoming problems in the family and scoring a positive outcome. She also values the priceless feeling of gratitude, both from the people and from the employees at the centre. Zorica takes her volunteer responsibilities very seriously and is committed to making a positive impact in any way she can.
One crucial aspect of my role is supporting and including marginalized and vulnerable segments of society, as well as enhancing social services. When engaging with the vulnerable, it is imperative that we ensure effective communication, accessibility and utmost discretion. --Zorica Srdić, UN Community Volunteer with UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina
"My communication has helped me to make new acquaintances and strengthen existing ones," Zorica shares. "I am also acquiring new skills from my colleagues and employees at the centre every day and mastering certain skills of this job, which can ultimately contribute significantly to my personal improvement and further education."
The project sustaining peace and social cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina through enhanced inter-municipal and inter-entity cooperation on local services is financed by the United Nations Secretary-General's Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) and is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on behalf of the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This article was first published by the UN Development Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina and has been edited slightly.