Everyone possesses the spirit of a leader, believes Wikan. His leadership spirit led him to help his community through a UN Volunteer assignment that began in November 2021. 

Dilyara Begalykyzy is a student at Nazarbayev University in Political Science and International Relations. She serves as a UN Youth Volunteer Event Planning Assistant at the UNDP Accelerator Lab.  One of the most meaningful innovations for our society is the family social card. It allows the Government of Kazakhstan to define a family's social category and arrange the relevant social payments. A great example of how innovation can provide digital solutions for social problems," says Dilyara.

Daniel Valbuena

Djimet Nangtour is a visually impaired national UN Volunteer deployed to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Chad. His assignment is fully funded by the Government of Germany. As a Legal Advisor and Human Rights Specialist, he is responsible for conducting analyses of national laws and regulations. The advice and guidance he provides to his host organization helps to identify abuses and/or violations of the human rights of individuals, including people with disabilities.

Q. Anita, can you tell us about the programme you are serving with? A. The programmes where I am involved are the FAO-Kosovo Programming Framework and Programme on Forestry titled "Support to strengthening sustainable and multi-purpose forest management to improve rural livelihoods and address climate change in Kosovo." Both will enhance Kosovo’s capacities for sustainable use of natural resources and contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for instance, Life on Land.

Nichakarn joined the UNDP-UNV Talent Programme for Young Professionals with Disabilities in October 2020. As a person with a visual impairment, she encountered numerous challenges, such as a non-inclusive system, attitudinal barriers and inaccessible learning materials.

With a Bachelor of Education in Special Needs Education from Moi University in Kenya, Nahashon provides technical support to the School Transport System for Children with Disabilities (STRIDE). STRIDE is a project of the county government of Mombasa, under the Department of Education and ICT, and implemented with the technical support of UNICEF.

Suvd Bold serves as a national UN Volunteer Specialist Humanitarian Affairs Officer with the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Mongolia. Her UN Volunteer assignment is under the Talent Programme for Persons with Disabilities of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, funded by Sweden.  When Suvd joined UNV eight months ago, it was a dream come true.

According to my mother; Miriam Palma, when I was one year old, I was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. At the age of four, I completely lost my sight. My family was in shock by my situation, they did all that they could, and there was no option for surgery. I have had to deal with my condition my entire life. "Today, I can say that I found the way to reach my full potential," says Antonio Palma, UN Volunteer serving for the UN Resident Coordinator's Office.

With a background and experience in law, access to justice and youth empowerment, Tiffany positioned herself to support the Governance portfolio within the multi-country office. She was involved in the programmatic and implementation side of things at the start.