From barbeque smoke to saving the environment

United Nations Volunteers
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"Could the charcoal smoke from Zibo barbecue be affecting air quality in cities?" This was literally what led me to explore a volunteer assignment with the United Nations, says Haoming Hong from Jiangxi province. At that time, a nationwide trend was sweeping across China: the booming popularity of Zibo-style barbecue. While others enjoyed the trend, Haoming dug into data—using stats to uncover the environmental cost behind the craze. The early exploration turned into a course paper that, in retrospect, laid the foundation for his bachelor’s thesis, The Impact of Air Pollution on Women’s Fertility Intentions in China. 

Haoming connects the dots from there to his volunteer journey as a fully funded UN Volunteer. He adds, "Through this graduate work, I realized that environmental issues are deeply intertwined with public health, economic behaviour, and social development.

Where time stands still: Life in Dzaleka Refugee Camp

Zahra Vaziri, Associate Programme Officer, UNHCR Malawi
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The first time I walked through Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi, I felt the weight of time. This camp was never meant to be permanent, yet decades later, tens of thousands of people still call it home. Children are born here. Young people grow up here. Families live entire lives here. For many, there is no going back. At the same time, host communities around the camp share the same pressures—scarce resources, climate shocks, and the daily challenge of building a future with too little support.

My name is Zahra Vaziri. I am from Iran. I serve as a UN Volunteer Associate Programme Officer with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Malawi. My role is to help ensure that humanitarian projects are not only implemented, but that they bring dignity, opportunity, and hope to both refugees and the communities that host them. I also make sure that the projects we design and fund are not only implemented but also carry meaning for the people who live here. 

Raising the banner of volunteerism in Zimbabwe

Kudakwashe Sigobodhla, Emergency Response Officer, UN Women Zimbabwe
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“I’m a humanitarian at heart and a volunteer by choice.” That’s how I introduce myself—and it’s more than just a line. For over 15 years, I’ve worked in emergency settings, but nothing has been as meaningful as my current role: serving as a UN Volunteer with UN Women in Zimbabwe, where purpose meets passion every single day. 

My name is Kudakwashe Sigobodhla. I am a UN Volunteer.

As an Emergency Response Officer focused on gender, I make sure women and girls are seen, heard, and supported when disasters strike. Whether it’s a cyclone, drought, or flood—everyone feels the impact, but women and girls often carry the heaviest load. I work to ensure their voices guide how Zimbabwe prepares for and responds to crises—so no one is left behind.

Peace begins with You. Me. Us

Fajong Benjamin Azineh, UN Volunteer with UNMISS
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I come from Cameroon—a place where conflict often casts young people as troublemakers. But I never accepted that narrative. I believed, and still believe, that young people can be peacebuilders. Today, as a UN Volunteer serving as a Human Rights Officer with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), I live that belief every single day.

In South Sudan, I serve in Central Equatoria State, in the counties of Yei, Morobo, Lainya and Kajo-keji. These are communities that have lived through years of conflict. People here wake up each day facing threats that should never be normal: killings, abductions, sexual violence, cattle raids, looting of homes, and arbitrary arrests. The danger is constant. Yet people still hope. They want safety. They want dignity. They want peace.

Humanity in Action: Six Stories of Courage and Compassion

United Nations Volunteers
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From Ukraine to Gaza, Sudan to Myanmar, violence continues to uproot lives. In Yemen and beyond, bombs and bullets drown out voices. In 2024, civilian deaths in conflict rose by 40 percent, says the UN Human Rights Office. These aren’t just numbers—they’re people. Each life lost, each family displaced, carries deep pain. Yet, amid the chaos, humanitarians step forward. They deliver aid, offer safety, and defend human rights. On World Humanitarian Day, we spotlight six stories that show the heart behind every humanitarian response and the power of compassion in action.

Yeran Kejijian knows what it means to be displaced. Her grandparents were refugees in Lebanon, and their stories shaped her path. Now, as the United Nations Volunteers Country Coordinator for Lebanon and Syria, Yeran helps Syrians return home after years of exile. For her, rebuilding communities isn’t just about logistics—it’s about restoring dignity. 

Inspired by the power of possibility—my volunteer journey

Katarzyna Wawiernia, former UN Volunteer, currently Resident Representative, UNDP Kazakhstan
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What began as a simple online application turned into a transformative journey across continents. From advising microfinance banks in Mozambique to managing budgets for multimillion-dollar health programmes in Angola to supporting development initiatives in Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, and São Tomé and Príncipe, and now leading the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) efforts in Kazakhstan, this is my story. And it started off as a volunteer in the United Nations system.

I’m Katarzyna Wawiernia from Poland. My volunteer journey began with a simple step: I applied. At the time, I was working in northern Mozambique as a microfinance advisor, helping five local banks support income-generating projects for people living in poverty. When I saw the UN Volunteers ad, I went for it. Despite the myth that joining the United Nations is tough, my process was smooth—just a few exams and I was in.

Rising to the flood: Volunteers rebuilding Nepal

United Nations Volunteers
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When record-breaking rains hit Nepal in September 2024, floods and landslides swept across the country, affecting over 70,000 people and claiming more than 225 lives. Over 1,500 public buildings were damaged. As the crisis unfolded, 16 UN Volunteers rushed to the hardest-hit areas. They gathered critical data, managed the flow of information, and helped coordinate relief efforts. These young humanitarians didn’t just deliver aid—they brought back hope and helped communities rebuild the damaged infrastructure. 

Among them was Hotrika Joshi, a UN Volunteer with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), who was based in Roshi Rural Municipality in Kavrepalanchok District, where ten lives were lost and hundreds of homes and farmlands were destroyed. 

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