Innovation in Ghana isn’t happening in glass towers or tech parks. It’s happening in dusty classrooms, crowded bootcamps, and community halls. On International Youth Day, we bring you the story of two UN Volunteers who have a simple message: Show up. Listen. Build. And never underestimate what young people can achieve when someone believes in them. Let's hear from Rafiatu and Samuel, young Ghanaians, who aren’t waiting for permission to lead; they’re already doing it.

A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist, Andrii Nahornyi, transforms complex data into sharp, visual stories that drive real-world decisions. He has a degree in Geomatics and a background in spatial data analysis, cartography, and remote sensing. In 2025, Andrii joined the United Nations Development Programme's City Experiment Fund as an Online Volunteer, helping cities across Europe and Central Asia reimagine urban life. His GIS skills-powered projects are enhancing urban development—one map at a time.

The Republic of Korea’s path to peace has taught it a powerful lesson: rebuilding isn’t enough—remembering matters. The Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) supported an initiative in Timor-Leste to digitize the Chega National Center for Conflict Reconciliation and Peacebuilding. In partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Jakarta and INFORDEPE, the project turned painful history into a tool for learning, helping ensure the trauma of the Indonesian occupation is never forgotten—or repeated. Dayoung Jeong, a young Korean professional and fully funded UN Volunteer, helped carry this mission forward—combining personal growth and a commitment to peace through education.

In Colombia’s rural heartlands, where women make up nearly half the agricultural workforce, the Raíces, mujeres sembradoras del cambio project is helping them grow—not just crops, but confidence, leadership, and independence. Led by UN Women with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and Colombia’s Ministry of Equality, the initiative equips women with the tools to earn more, lead their communities, and rebuild lives shaped by hardship and conflict. Ae Young Jung is a Korean national who completed a six-month assignment with UN Women Colombia through a fully funded volunteering opportunity from September 2024 to March 2025.

Yoojeong Jeong’s journey into refugee protection did not begin in the field—but in the pages of her Master’s thesis on Rohingya refugees. Yet even as she researched, a deeper calling stirred. “I kept thinking—this isn’t where I’m meant to be. I need to be out there, with the people."

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region—where conflict, displacement, and environmental challenges intersect, Korean researcher Sihyun Park volunteered for sustainable development with support from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). As a fully funded UN Volunteer based in Jordan, she relied on research to develop practical solutions. Her assignment, which lasted a year and concluded in September 2025, offers insights into the impact of volunteerism in complex settings. Let’s take a closer look at her journey.

The wheels of the dark grey Australian military aircraft kissed the tarmac—no, slammed it—sending a tremor through the ground. A shudder rippled outward, kicking up a furious halo of dust. The aircraft, all muscle and menace, rumbled to a halt beneath the brown cloud, its fuselage gleaming like a predator freshly landed in hostile territory. “Welcome to East Timor,” blurted out Paul Guering, an Irishman and United Nations Volunteer (UNV) official, as the scorching heat of Dili, the capital greeted us on a sunny afternoon in late June 1999. Paul was overseeing the deployment of the first batch of UN Volunteers from a temporary staging base in Darwin, Australia, to East Timor. Nearly 100 of us were on that plane, a motley crew of veteran UN peacekeepers, civilian police officers, and bright-eyed volunteers from across the globe.