Abandoning is not an option: In Diapaga, in the eastern Tapoa region, Agathe Ouoba is a midwife on the front lines. In May 2025, gunfire hit the town and shut down the health center. But life kept moving. “We were told to stay home,” Agathe says. “Women still went into labour. We helped one mother deliver at home using just a single-use ventouse. She and her baby made it.” 

I come from Inhambane City, a small town in southern Mozambique. I am currently based in Nampula Province, where I have been serving as a UN Volunteer with UNFPA since February 2023. Child marriage impacts far too many girls, far too early in life. I help local partners by offering support and helping organize activities like mentoring, getting children back into school, and improving access to health services, especially those related to sexual and reproductive health.

Before volunteering with the UN, Pavlo Tishkov crunched numbers at the National Bank of Ukraine. But when war broke out, spreadsheets weren’t enough—he wanted to make a real difference.

Yağmur Söylemez, UN Volunteer from Türkiye navigated through her volunteering experience and shared, "Volunteering gave me the courage to confront inequalities head-on, raise my voice  and inspire others to take action." She raised awareness on the structural barriers facing women in their daily lives.

Compassion, commitment, impact—these are not just words for Okba Doghim—they describe his motivation to volunteer.

The campaign marked International Youth Day and was made possible through a partnership with the Iraqi Ministry of Health and the United Nations entities, including the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Volunteers, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization.

My name is Sadoscar Hakizimana. I am from Burundi. I am a medical doctor by profession. I started my volunteer assignment roughly two years ago — in August 2022.

Georgina Edwards, UN Volunteer Innovation Analyst with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in South Africa After finishing my graduate degree, I interned with UN-Habitat and that set the stage for my UN career.  Transitioning to a UN Volunteer assignment in 2021 was a turning point, allowing me to step into my dream role as an Innovation Analyst with UNFPA.

There are 290 million child brides in South Asia — the highest in the world, accounting for 45 percent of the global data.  Since 2016, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have implemented a Global Programme to End Child Marriage in 12 of the highest prevalence countries — including Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.

Lydie Nodjimadjim Mbaidje is a senior midwife and UN Volunteer serving with UNFPA In the heart of Logone, a province located in the south-west of Chad. Her contribution pivots around the crucial aspects of health education and awareness. She supervises midwives, and trains the local population on contraceptives and emergency neonatal obstetric care.