Refugees in Jordan inspire hope through volunteering

Five remarkable Syrian refugee volunteers are making a difference with UNHCR in Jordan. These individuals are part of a larger group of 32 refugees who have transformed their challenges into stories of hope and resilience. Drawing from their personal journeys, they bring unique perspectives to their roles, using compassion and determination to uplift their communities. This article highlights their inspiring stories and the impact they have made.

Muteeb Al Hamdan, once an English teacher, now serves as an interpreter with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.. Describing his journey as “a passage from despair to hope, from terror to safety, one that felt like an ending but became a new beginning”, he found in his assignment an opportunity to use his translation skills to make a difference. With a diploma in humanitarian translation, he assists refugees and visiting delegations, ensuring seamless communication across languages and cultures.

Finland and UNV mark 50 years—1974 to 2024

For half a century, the partnership between the Government of Finland and United Nations Volunteers has created opportunities for Finnish nationals to volunteer around the world for sustainable development. From 1974 to 2024, we mark this important event—through a snapshot of milestones.

Finland and the full funding partnership with UNV started in 1974 with the signing of an agreement that resulted in the deployment of the first three Finnish nationals as UN Volunteers in 1975—Mirja Heijari with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Yemen as a nurse, Matti Järvinen, a Radio Studio Technician with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Tanzania and Pekka Savinsaari with UN-OTC in Swaziland in a water and se

Supporting a brighter future for Djibouti's youth

UN Volunteers with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Djibouti support initiatives that directly impact the future of children. With a quarter of children aged 5 to 17 out of school and 294,000 classified as vulnerable, the volunteer assignments of Diana Ranja, Abdoulfatah Sahal Souleiman, and Laetitia Dushimirimana are essential for effecting meaningful change in communities on the ground.

Growing up in Madagascar, Diana Ranja witnessed how poverty deprived children of education and healthcare. This inspired her journey as a UN Volunteer with UNICEF in Djibouti, where she serves as an Education Specialist.