Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina: After young people from Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and other countries have gone all over the world to serve as UNV Interns, we  the first generation of German UNV Interns –deployed to our countries of service in 2013.

Ankara, Turkey:  I come from Moldova and I am now working as a UN Volunteer with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Turkey. I have been living in Turkey for a few years and have had the opportunity to observe the approach of the Turkish people towards volunteerism. In Turkey people help each other with their hearts and from their hearts on a continuous basis.

Iriba, Chad: Zo Eorintany from Madagascar is a UN Volunteer with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Iriba in Eastern Chad where she has been assigned since July 2010. Before going to Chad, she worked with WFP in her home country for eight years, and says, “I felt, I could help somewhere else, where people would be even more in need.”

Monrovia, Liberia:  I am the focal person for World Refugee Day in Liberia. As a Public Information Officer, working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) gives me the opportunity to listen and tell the stories of people torn apart by war - nursing mothers, children, pregnant women and the elderly.

Caracas, Venezuela:  I have been working as a UN Volunteer Associate Protection Officer at the Protection Unit of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Caracas since April 2012. My role is to provide legal advice to asylum-seekers and refugees in the country, as well as to contribute to the compilation and analysis of country of origin information that shall serve as the basis for the drafting of legal and policy documents.

Miragoâne, Haiti:  "When are you going to see your son?" I asked. "In less than two weeks, for two days." A weak smile crosses Michonda''s tired face. "It has been four months," she adds. Five years ago, at barely 13, Michonda's childhood was stolen. She was brutally raped and became pregnant. While the rapist managed to escape justice, Michonda had to take up her new responsibilities. Forced to abandon school, she had to look for a job to be able to care for her child.

Bridgetown, Barbados: My assignment with the UNDP Sub-Regional Office for Barbados and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) as the UNV Institutional Capacity Development Officer is providing exciting opportunities to support ten programme countries in the Eastern Caribbean. As a UN Volunteer, I have started to explore options and possibilities that provide increased opportunities for non-state actors and civil society organizations to develop their networking, promotion and administrative capacities.

Quito, Ecuador: I am a 27-year-old lawyer and I just finished my one-year assignment with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme at the Office of the Human Rights Adviser in Ecuador.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan: For as long as she can remember, Madina has loved to study and discover for herself the traditions and cultures of different Anglophone countries. Despite initial fears about the challenges of assuming a teaching position without formal pedagogical training, her desire to contribute something to society and to share her knowledge with younger generations prevailed and still remains her daily source of motivation.

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago:  Halfway through my one-year assignment as international United Nations Volunteer in Trinidad and Tobago, the balance so far is definitively positive. I am in charge of managing a project to develop a National Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment. Yes, quite a mouthful and definitely quite a challenge.