Page 60 - 80 YEARS OF VOLUNTEER IMPACT WITH FAO

Food security Working towards a world without hunger

Andrei Zhileikin

WHERE DIPLOMACY, DATA

AND DEVELOPMENT MEET

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For Andrei Zhileikin, becoming a UN Volunteer was shaped by experience. “I’ve always felt drawn to work that contributes
to something larger,” he said. But it was seeing firsthand the human cost of inequality, and the limits placed on people’s
lives by lack of opportunity, that turned that instinct into action.

Now based in Addis Ababa as a Partnership Support Officer, Andrei helps connect FAO’s work with the goals of African
institutions. He brings teams together, joins key conversations and makes sure regional plans are backed by facts
and focused on people. “I find it particularly rewarding to contribute to high-level policy processes that have tangible
impacts on the ground, and to work in a dynamic environment where diplomacy, data, and development intersect,”
he shared.

One important insight Andrei gained early on was just how vast, diverse and truly fascinating Africa is. “This realization
deepened my appreciation for the complexity and potential of the region,” he said.

Andrei holds onto the hope that one day, the partnerships he builds and the initiatives he supports will lead to concrete
results. “The thought of these collaborative efforts genuinely improving food security and livelihoods across Eastern
Africa is what continues to inspire and drive my work today.”