UN Volunteers bolster humanitarian assistance on the northern border of Peru
On the northern border of Peru, an interdisciplinary team of 26 highly motivated professionals join national humanitarian assistance efforts as UN Volunteers.
The Peruvian towns of Tumbes, Piura, and Lambayeque are facing a triple crisis: climate change, a dengue fever outbreak and forced migration. It is estimated that 840,000 people need humanitarian assistance after heavy rains and are at risk of a possible "El Niño" phenomenon.
Michèle narrates: "Numbers hold power. They drive decisions, influence policies and mould the future."
From Burkina Faso to the very heart of Congo
Imagine transitioning from the familiar landscapes of Burkina Faso to the vast and diverse terrain of Congo, all with a mission to uncover its stories – not through words or pictures, but numbers. That was my challenge when I started as an international UN volunteer with the UNFPA’s country office. But why numbers, you ask? Numbers hold power. They drive decisions, influence policies and mould the future.
The monumental task ahead
In 2017, my journey began. I, a UN Volunteer, was given a task that would span three eventful years: to support the National Institute of Statistics (INS) for the 5th General Population and Housing Census (RGPH-5). But this was not just any census. It would influence and shape national strategies and policies for many years.