Page 36 - 80 YEARS OF VOLUNTEER IMPACT WITH FAO

Climate resilience Adaptation in action: Responding to climate change

Firoj Ahmed

BUILDING TRUST THROUGH DATA IN EASTERN SUDAN

In Kassala region, Eastern Sudan, drought, displacement and poverty have
long threatened lives and livelihoods. But the Joint Resilience Project helped
communities find new ways to adapt—and people like UN Volunteer Firoj
Ahmed made that possible.

As a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer with FAO, Firoj supported this
initiative from FAO, WFP and UNICEF. The goal was to help communities
better cope with challenges like poor harvests, food shortages and limited
health and nutrition services for mothers and children. Based in Khartoum
32 and working deep into the field, Firoj helped design surveys, collected data
and most importantly, built relationships.

“When we first encountered villages, we couldn’t enter unless we were
invited. We had to consult village leaders and ask for permission to help,”
he explained. That approach earned him trust. In Hangola, a village leader
wrapped Firoj in his own turban, a powerful sign of welcome. A year later,
Firoj returned, surrounded by children and drawing for them on the ground. Firoj Ahmed (right), UN Volunteer Monitoring and
Evaluation Officer, consulting with village leaders in the
North Delta, Kassala, Sudan. [UNV, 2016]
For Firoj, these moments were what mattered most: “We travelled through
rough terrain, worked with diverse individuals and groups, and bonded
with people I never thought I would. It was an unforgettable experience,”
he added. “Bonding is so important, it’s great to help people,
but to actually know the people you are helping—

that is something else.”