It was a somber day in Kinshasa last Sunday as UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri joined the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and Senior Management for the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) in a special tribute to the three UN Volunteers who lost their lives in the crash of UN Flight 834 last Monday 4 April.
It was a somber day in Kinshasa last Sunday as UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri joined the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and Senior Management for the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) in a special tribute to the three UN Volunteers who lost their lives in the crash of UN Flight 834 last Monday 4 April.
Esinam Safo, Jeroen Bervoets, and Carlos Barros were three UN Volunteers working with MONUSCO for the peace and development of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The day they boarded that fateful plane was the day the UNV family lost three beloved friends and trusted colleagues.
"We have just witnessed a huge loss for UNV and the UN family," said Pansieri. "We lost three UN Volunteers, as well as many other colleagues, in this tragic accident that has left a huge void in our hearts."
Echoing these sentiments was UNV Programme Manager in the DRC, Marc Spurling, who told the crowd gathered together, "The loss of three UN Volunteers should not be in vain
the work is before us."
Safo, who hailed from Ghana, worked as an Air Operations Assistant in Goma. Barros, from Sao Tome and Principe, worked as an Inspector for Contingent Owned Equipment in Bukavu. Bervoets, a Belgian, had newly joined the Mission as Assistant to the Electoral Director in Kinshasa.
Representing Fidèle Sarassoro, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General (DSRSG) in the DRC was Steve Ursino, Head of Integrated Office of the DSRSG, Resident Coordinator, and Humanitarian Coordinator.
"On behalf of Fidèle Sarassoro, I would like to share his grief for this loss," said Ursino. "We will keep in our hearts these colleagues considered as true heroes."
While UN Volunteers based outside of Kinshasa were not able to attend the tribute, they still managed to convey their condolences.
Charlotte Songue, a UN Volunteer who works for the UN Joint Human Rights Office in Mbandaka said, "No matter my absence at the meeting, my thought is that more than anyone, the death of volunteers is more significant than all
Let our work, service and time be meaningful during the contract we have with organizations, so that if we leave this world, our work will make us unforgettable."
The tribute, held at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Headquarters in Kinshasa, was followed by an informal reception that allowed volunteers the chance to exchange memories of their departed friends. A representative of UNV will be accompanying the remains to their respective home countries this week, where further memorials will take place.