“You’ll be hired when a project is born, and released when it ends." Words of my professor from the University of Bradford are etched in my mind from a couple of decades ago. A thought that has stayed with me ever since. Over the years, I moved between roles at United Nations entities, international organizations, and Islamic Relief—always ready for new beginnings. Between 2002 and 2012, I worked in areas related to reducing poverty, empowering youth, and advancing governance-related programmes. By the end of that decade, I thought I had seen it all.

At 28, while working for Human Rights Internet in Ottawa, I discovered that UNV was recruiting volunteers for Guatemala. Volunteering had always been close to my heart, even before my time as a UN Volunteer. During my university days, I helped a Salvadoran refugee family who had fled El Salvador’s civil war, facilitating their integration into Canadian society.

Youth, which represents the majority of Madagascar's population, is both a challenge and an opportunity for peacebuilding amidst social, economic, and cultural tensions.

As an Information Analyst, my main task is to provide accurate analysis to help the Mission better understand the environment, anticipate threats, protect civilians, and ensure the security of UN personnel.  The Joint Mission Analysis Center is key in collecting and analyzing information to support peace operations and decision-making for MONUSCO's leadership.

I am based with UNMISS in the Malakal Field Office and responsible for implementing the Beyond Bullets and Ballots project. I believe that when we give the relevant knowledge and tools to communities, we promote a self-reliant society. Building strong community ties is the most important building block here and of course, complementing that with policies that are community friendly. The project is a step in the right direction. It brings together the local government officials, electoral officers, police, military personnel, and members of civil society.

“Empowering young people with digital skills can transform their future and lead to gender equality,” says Helwise Boya, UN Volunteer Innovation and Technology Officer with UNFPA in Benin. She is passionate about making a positive change through volunteering. Helwise supports the #Tech4Girls project, which has imparted digital and entrepreneurial skills to over 200 girls, opening new career paths and boosting their confidence.

I serve with the Environment and Occupational Safety and Health Unit. Every newcomer to UNMISS, whether civilian, military, or police, goes through environmental induction training. My responsibility is to make sure they understand how important it is to consider the environment in everything they do. We look at aspects such as wastewater management, solid waste management, and energy use.

Prince Jacob is a UN Volunteer Nurse. He administers vaccinations, delivers nursing care, facilitates prompt emergency responses, and ensures medical support for UNISFA's field operations. Nursing in the peacekeeping context — Prince's service directly impacts the health and welfare of all personnel including international peacekeepers and local staff engaged in the mission's endeavours. Abyei is situated between Sudan and South Sudan.

Beyond its globally recognized work on small arms control, UNDP SEESAC advances gender mainstreaming in security sector reform by supporting regional cooperation among the Ministries of Defence of four Western Balkans countries — Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. 

Through the UNDP Transitional Justice project funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, UNDP South Sudan has been collaborating with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the Greater Bahr El Ghazal; Greater Equatoria and Greater Upper Nile areas to ensure that the voices of South Sudanese are included and heard in all processes. The CSOs have been using their communication channels to provide information about the transitional justice mechanisms to communities of victims and survivors of conflict.