My country, Bangladesh was a beginner when I was born. She and I grew up almost together. We have traveled through the caravan of time and experienced transitions of more than four decades now. In all these years, I have seen her moving through the tough tunnels of development dynamics.

There was no girl to recite the alphabet And there was no one to write No one to read Those sounds, the girl’s sounds Had died under the brickbat of idiotism And Buddha collapsed out of shame. My poetry echoes the challenges in my homeland—Afghanistan. Despite these challenges, particularly for women and girls, I've found a path of purpose as a UN Volunteer. 

Persons with disabilities are often overlooked, and when they are considered, the focus is frequently limited to physical accessibility, such as ramps and infrastructure. While these elements are important, accessibility must go beyond the physical and extend into the virtual space. In today’s world, digital inclusion is crucial. The fact that you’re reading my story right now is possible because of technology, but this is not the reality for many others.

Asfia joined UNICEF Bangladesh in 2023. She brings a wealth of experience in early childhood education, play-based pedagogy, curriculum development, teachers’ professional development, and research.   As an Education Officer, Asfia regularly monitors classrooms. She gives feedback to teachers on widening their skills, refining teaching techniques, and promoting a positive learning environment. All of this directly impacts academic performance.

The Community UN Volunteers were selected from 22 unions under Bandarban and Rangamati districts representing the marginalized group of ethnic minorities descending from tribal groups in the hard-to-reach terrains of Hill District Regions - 58% women. The volunteers began their assignments in December 2023 to support the multi-donor Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGiC).

Leonardo Martínez is a UN Volunteer serving as Protection, Childhood and Humanitarian Action Specialist with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Colombia, which is the lead host country for Venezuelan migrants and refugees. These migrants and refugees face a hoard of humanitarian issues. The situation is worsened by internal armed conflict, as approximately 6.9 million people in rural areas are under the control or influence of non-state armed groups.

Urmi Tanchangya is a national UN Volunteer Programme Assistant with UNFPA's Adolescents and Youth Unit. Her assignment contributes to UNFPA’s Humanitarian Forcibly Displaced Persons Response Project in Cox’s Bazar. She supports programme management, administration and monitoring and evaluation.

Tuba was one of 40 UN Volunteers recognized for their volunteering impact during the 2022 UNV Country Awards in Dhaka. She was awarded 'Champion UN Volunteer’ for her outstanding contribution to gender equality.

In her work, Sabrina supports UNICEF programmes for gender equality through data analysis in gender-disaggregated ways – including both gender and disability at the field level data collection and analysis. This aids decision-makers to observe the changes and take appropriate action to improve the programme by ensuring equal opportunity for children, women, and persons with disabilities.