Kenya Lawrence Nzuve, Un Volunteer Communications and Outreach Officer, UN Environment (UNEP)

Anisa Bina, 29, leaped at the chance to advance UN Women’s mission and vision when she was selected for a national UN Volunteer assignment as Communications Assistant.  While some young people may find themselves at crossroads when finishing their studies, Anisa had already set her mind on what she wanted to do in accordance with her values and background.

What does volunteering for the GTM entail? The selected volunteers will be given roles including, but not limited to, the following:

What does volunteering for the GTM entail? The selected volunteers will be given roles including, but not limited to, the following:

Ronald Cumberbatch is an international UN Volunteer from Guyana, serving as an Energy and Environment Specialist with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Liberia. He has been supporting the Good Grow Partnership (GGP) programme for almost 3 years. Launched in 2017, the GGP programme is aimed at reducing deforestation caused by mass production of global key commodities. It also focuses on facilitating strong supply chains and creating an enabling environment in support of sustainable production.

Sumak is a member of the Cacha community, part of the Puruwa nation in Chimborazo province, Ecuador. She began serving as a UN Volunteer as part of the partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in 2017, after working for women's rights in the Ecuadorian National Assembly.

Jasurjon supports the UNDP project Developing the climate resilience of farming communities in drought-prone parts of Uzbekistan,1 funded by the Adaptation Fund of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).His assignment is centred on public relations, content development and organizing working sessions with stakeholders. “One of the most interesting parts of my work is bringing project stakeholders together to work on new challenges arising during the implementation of the project,” says Jasurjon.

My work as UN staff member has been incredibly important in helping me develop new skills and qualities through peacekeeping missions, but the most valuable learning experiences came from my time as a UN Volunteer. This was challenging, inspiring, rewarding and demanding all at the same time and I’m sure will continue to influence my work for the rest of my life.

In 2019, over 600 UN Volunteers took part in onsite trainings designed to build a community and grow the skills and competencies that are key to serving with the UN. From February onwards, COVID-19 restrictions made in-person workshops impossible. Hence, it was clear we wanted to create a virtual space to facilitate learning and enable exchange among volunteers.