On this International Volunteer Day, the global community celebrates and honours the tireless dedication of volunteers worldwide. From addressing multifaceted global crises to supporting individuals in need, volunteerism embodies a spirit of solidarity, resilience, and compassion that our world so deeply needs. 

Angeline Kidiga is a 39-year-old woman from Kenya. She is a UN Volunteer Electoral Officer and joined MINUSCA in 2022 to support electoral operations. Angeline has overseen the distribution of electoral materials to some of the most remote areas in the country—Ouham Fafa and Nana Gribizi, which are affected by a lack of infrastructure and security.

The common thread in these stories is that each of the protagonists was an Online Volunteer. Through their laptops, their smartphones, their tablets, Online Volunteers—as expert and dedicated as any other professionals in their field are—clicked away their share of assistance to humanitarian and development. We can’t see them—they’re conveniently behind a screen somewhere around the world. But we can see their work—it’s in plain sight all around us.

Ahouéfa Agossou is from Benin. She is a UN Volunteer Community Health Specialist with UNICEF and has helped children and pregnant women in 12 municipalities of her native country by organizing training and awareness campaigns on good health and well-being. She mobilized community health workers and adapted messaging that resonated with the community members. 

In 2019, one of my films was screened in Germany, and a particular scene sparked unexpected reactions. It showed a family sharing a meal from one plate—a common practice in my Cameroonian household, symbolizing togetherness and community. Yet, some viewers interpreted it as a symbol of poverty, a reminder of how easily our cultural narratives are misread. In Cameroon, we sometimes joke by calling our country "The Continent," hinting at a wider misconception that Africa is one homogenous place.