Urvashi Bundel is from India and serves as an international UN Volunteer Associate Refugee Status Determination Officer with UNCHR in Somalia. Through her volunteering, Urvashi has experienced a lot, she says, something that people get to encounter much later, she has, at quite a young age. She tells her volunteering story.
With nearly ten years in the United Nations system and some eight years working directly with vulnerable refugee and asylum-seeking populations, I value my service to UNHCR's international protection mandate.
UNHCR in Somalia works with government and stakeholders to provide humanitarian assistance, and advance peace and development in priority areas of return and reintegration.
The refugees I have interacted with belonged to twenty countries that include – Afghanistan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Myanmar (Rohingya population), Russian Federation, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
I serve in a hardship duty station and for that I receive tremendous support from United Nations Volunteers.
Before Somalia, I served in Ethiopia, where I was at the refugee camp level.
I interact with a population in the direst of circumstances. They are either fleeing persecution or conflict in their home countries, or are at risk of being human trafficked across the Gulf of Aden.
Just last week I was steps away from the Yemeni border interviewing a critical asylum case.
I have the privilege to listen to the stories firsthand. Stories of survival. These are real people. Real stories. I am where they are telling their stories - at the grassroots level every single day.
To experience all this at my age and try to make a lasting impact on the lives of people who are going through their worst. This is possible through my volunteer assignment.
With a background in international criminal law, I strongly believe in the words of Cicero – “The good of the people is the greatest law!"
