Since joining the UNICEF Kenya team in 2018, I have had a chance to provide communication support for several programmes, contributing to my professional and personal growth. Most importantly, I have been able to impact the lives of children and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When I reflect on my life, I realize that my upbringing in a rural area largely shaped my decision to become a UN Volunteer. Growing up in Guruve, a rural community north of Harare, Zimbabwe, gave me an excellent grounding in local issues and a true understanding of the poverty and social exclusion that people in under-served communities suffer. Although rural life was difficult, it had several redeeming qualities.

Three years ago, I left Italy to join the WFP team in Mali, a magnificent country of around 19 million inhabitants. As I had visited the country while attending the Bamako Sub-Regional Conference on Female Genital Mutilation in 2006, I was excited to rediscover the its unique culture, beautiful nature and vibrant marketplaces. 

The Comprehensive School Safety (CSS) programme is an extension of the Government of Nepal’s School Sector Development Plan, and as such, provides a detailed roadmap on how to ensure a child’s right to access quality education in safe learning environments. My key duties in the capacity of a DRR Programme Officer were to monitor programme progress and provide technical support in a timely manner.

I began my UN Volunteer assignment in December 2020, when we were facing the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic in numerous ways. Many were experiencing physical and mental challenges, yet there was not much space to discuss these.

Tell us about the nature of your posting I am a UN Volunteer with UNSOS based in Mogadishu, Somalia. The core mission of UNSOS is to provide critical support needed by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the UN Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and Somali Security Forces for effective peacebuilding efforts in Somalia.

In November 2016, I started my assignment with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) as a medical doctor and was directly assigned to Bentiu in Unity State. After three years there, I was re-assigned to the capital, Juba and have been working here since then.  I am currently on my third UN Volunteer assignment. My first mission was in Timor-Leste from 2008-2012 and my second was with the UN Mission in Liberia, where I was assigned in Monrovia from 2014-2015. Keeping mental health in check

Most people remember where they were when the disaster struck. I was serving as UNV Programme Officer in Timor-Leste at the time, where hundreds of international UN Volunteers supported the nation-building efforts of the then-newest member of the United Nations family. On home leave celebrating Christmas with my family in Germany on that very day, I felt the urge to support the people in the affected areas.

Mme/Mr Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,

The survey, carried out with financial resources from Japan, aims to provide a better understanding of needs and expectations in border communities, linked to the threats to security and wellbeing posed by illicit trafficking. People living in border communities, particularly in remote areas, tend to be less involved in the development of public policies, thus also benefit less.