Rotaract, Sri Lanka's largest non-aligned youth movement, has not only been an eminent force of strength in bringing up the talents and skills of our youth to a greater stage, but also an impactful contributor towards supporting deserving communities within Sri Lanka and even beyond. Rotaract in Sri Lanka and Maldives has aimed at assisting the nation with safeguarding the country from COVID-19 and its effects.

The 2019 Human Development Report noted that one of the most persistent forms of inequality is gender inequality. Rooted in social norms and exclusion, girls and women are more likely to have fewer opportunities and stay mired in a cycle of generational poverty.

We live in turbulent times and compacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of mental health is not only relevant but crucial. Mental health is more than the presence or absence of a mental illness. It is a crossroad between emotional, psychological, and physical well-being.

Digital readiness is key to our success. i.e. building and refining of capabilities and culture to perform and transform. According to the Institute for Digital Transformation, "The more prepared or ready an organization, the more likely it will achieve its desired outcome. 'Digital readiness' is being prepared for the disruption of Digital Transformation." 

"I used to sell tomatoes in the morning, at the Mutondo street market, to help my family, and in the afternoon I went to school," said Cecília Augusto, 25. The shy girl was forced to speak louder than usual because all we could hear in the room was the sound of sewing machines and people talking happily. That is because Cecília is doing a professional internship in sewing, after finishing training at the National Institute of Employment and Professional Training (INEFOP) in the province of Huíla, southern Angola.

The UN Community Volunteers deployed – seven women and seven men – initially underwent training in the peaceful resolution and management of conflicts, including gender-based violence, to sensitize women and girls, local and religious authorities, and the population. The volunteers held 132 dialogue sessions in the five communes of Conakry: Matoto, Kaloum, Ratoma, Dixinn, and Matam.  One of these is Alpha Makanera. 

Water filters, soap and hand sanitizers are essential for the survival and development of children – especially those who struggle every day from poor sanitation and a lack of access to drinking water – and have become more critical than ever during the global pandemic. In Viet Nam, UNICEF’s WASH team has distributed critical supplies to communal health centres and communities in selected provinces, reaching over 2.1 million people as of November 2020 through their immediate response.

In July, a Global Technical Meeting on Reimagining Volunteerism for the 2030 Agenda, organized on the sidelines of the high-level Political Forum by UNV and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, aimed to identify volunteerism concepts and practices that can effectively accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Isolation, war, famine, arid climate, poor access to basic social services, and lack of access to drinking water and electricity are common issues in Androy region. In the face of difficult external and environmental conditions, it has been challenging to recruit high-performing, skilled, and dedicated individuals to build a local team for the Androy region.

COVID-19 threatens millions already vulnerable due to food insecurity Just a couple of months before COVID-19 spread across nearly every border in the world, Ângela Gregório António Chale Macie began serving as a UN Volunteer in Nampula, Mozambique. Little did she know just how critical her role would become for the people in Erati district when the Coronavirus endangered their already-limited access to food.