SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
My name is Zahra Vaziri. I am from Iran. I serve as a UN Volunteer Associate Programme Officer with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Malawi. My role is to help ensure that humanitarian projects are not only implemented, but that they bring dignity, opportunity, and hope to both refugees and the communities that host them. I also make sure that the projects we design and fund are not only implemented but also carry meaning for the people who live here.
19 August 2025
East and Southern Africa
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
Yeran Kejijian knows what it means to be displaced. Her grandparents were refugees in Lebanon, and their stories shaped her path. Now, as the United Nations Volunteers Country Coordinator for Lebanon and Syria, Yeran helps Syrians return home after years of exile. For her, rebuilding communities isn’t just about logistics—it’s about restoring dignity.
19 August 2025
Global
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
Humanity in action
19 August 2025
Global
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
18 August 2025
West and Central Africa
Exposure story
SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
One hot afternoon in Harare, in the course of my work, I sat down with Debbie Chinochema, a young community member and beneficiary of UNICEF programmes in Zimbabwe. She looked me in the eye, smiled shyly, and shared her story with me. Debbie lives with HIV. But more than that, she’s a fighter. A volunteer. A voice.
12 August 2025
East and Southern Africa
Success stories
SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
As a 17-year-old, I travelled to the United States on an educational exchange programme and my main motivation was to play baseball and experience American culture.I met a lot of other people from Africa and Asia as well as Europe and I was taken aback and then impressed by their passion and motivation to support their villages and communities back home.
12 August 2025
Asia and the Pacific
Success stories
SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
Meet Rafiatu Umarayi Alhassan and Samuel Peprah Bekoe. Both are UN Volunteer Field Coordinators and part of Young Africa Innovates (YAI) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ghana, a bold initiative helping young people across all 16 regions of the country turn their ideas into solutions.
08 August 2025
West and Central Africa
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
18 July 2025
Latin America and the Caribbean
Exposure story
SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
I come from Inhambane City, a small town in southern Mozambique. I am currently based in Nampula Province, where I have been serving as a UN Volunteer with UNFPA since February 2023. Child marriage impacts far too many girls, far too early in life. I help local partners by offering support and helping organize activities like mentoring, getting children back into school, and improving access to health services, especially those related to sexual and reproductive health.
16 July 2025
East and Southern Africa
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities
Technology is accelerating this shift. From digital literacy and coding to the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), young people are gaining the tools to drive change. Over 70 percent of secondary students now use AI in their academic work, with many relying on tools like ChatGPT to learn, create, and lead. As AI continues to evolve, volunteers are using it to analyze data faster and boost the impact of their social initiatives.
15 July 2025
Global
Success stories