The objective was to live up to the wellbeing of UN Volunteers stationed with UN partners across the country. The outcome was informative and inspiring, in every sense of the word.

Engaging with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has been rewarding. UNV has helped me develop my confidence, leadership and communication skills, make new friends and become a Global Goals Advocate. On my path to UNV, I was involved in community service throughout my years in school and participated in the Youth Leadership Programme (YLP) launched by UNDP. 

In 2018, we launched the Refugee UN Volunteer special initiative in collaboration with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, engaging refugees and asylum seekers in UNV assignments in their host countries. 

It was early 2015 when I heard about UNV at an international job fair in Berlin. I had graduated with a law degree and newly qualified as a magistrate, with professional experience at the European Commission in Brussels. I was looking for opportunities that would take me far, and not place me behind a desk handling legal cases. While at the job fair, I attended an information session on German lawyers at the UN. Coincidently, the person leading that session was a former UN Volunteer, and that's how my journey in the UN system began.

UN Volunteers have played invaluable roles in UN humanitarian assistance from the first days of war in Ukraine and UNV is committed to staying and delivering in support of millions of displaced people.

The children of Timor-Leste face many barriers to living a full and prosperous life. Poverty, malnutrition and poor access to healthcare mean that many children are unable to thrive. Only one in four children aged 3-5 years have access to pre-school and the others start schooling directly in grade 1, leaving them at a disadvantage that may impact subsequent years of their education.

One of the prime examples of working together for a common good is a volunteer initiative made possible by the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in Peru.

Community radio plays an important role in communities across the world. Improving this vital means of communication – is what this story from Zimbabwe is all about. Sometimes it's tough to get started. It takes bravery to sit or stand in front of a microphone and broadcast. But that's exactly what a group of volunteers from the Auxeni community radio in Zimbabwe do, with the help of training from national broadcasters.

People together in raves  – not to dance only this time but to also clear debris and begin rebuilding – all to the beat of a DJ set.

A large part of being a volunteer is that you have ownership of your solutions – that's the story of Hajara Maimuna Idi, a community volunteer in Borno State, northeast Nigeria.