Completing the symphony through inclusion in Uzbekistan

Hudoykul Hafizov is a soft-spoken, locally recruited UN Volunteer serving with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Uzbekistan as a Disability Inclusion Specialist. He is often amazed by how resilient, ambitious and steadfast human beings can be, especially those like him with disabilities.

Hudoykul grew up in Urgut district in the Samarkand region of Uzbekistan. He said that as a child, he learned to always put in that “extra effort” to “fit in” so that others would accept him. And he did fit in – excelling at most subjects in national and international law at university. 

Enhancing employability for social integration and inclusion of persons with disabilities

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) opened the centre for employment and professional rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in Kazakhstan. Meet two UN Community Volunteers in the project, each of whom shares a bright and unique personal story.

Within the framework of the joint project "Sustainable Development of the System of Social Protection of the Population: Promotion of Programmes on Social Integration and Inclusion," UNDP inaugurated a centre for employment and professional rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

Empowering young people to pursue peace and prosperity: perspectives of a former UN Volunteer

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has been operating in Kosovo* (as per UN SC 1244) since the end of the conflict in 1999. Its Employment and Sustainable Development programmme seeks to generate economic opportunities and enhance social inclusion for Kosovo’s most vulnerable groups, including youth. Minjoo Lee served with UNDP as a UN Youth Volunteer in Local Economic Development, fully funded by the Republic of Korea. We asked him about his experiences in Kosovo.

What motivated you to become a UN Volunteer?

Led by a strong and innate desire to contribute to making a better world, I have dreamed of working for the UN since I was a child. The UN Volunteers programme provided me with a great opportunity to be a part of the organization and fulfill that dream.