Bridgetown, Barbados: My assignment with the UNDP Sub-Regional Office for Barbados and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) as the UNV Institutional Capacity Development Officer is providing exciting opportunities to support ten programme countries in the Eastern Caribbean. As a UN Volunteer, I have started to explore options and possibilities that provide increased opportunities for non-state actors and civil society organizations to develop their networking, promotion and administrative capacities.

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is partnering with the Asan Nanum Foundation (ANF) of the Republic of Korea to promote youth engagement in the achievement of human development goals.   Through this partnership, UNV and the ANF aim to positively harness the energy of UN Volunteer Interns towards the advancement of peace and development around the world, while enhancing their participation, citizenship and work-related skills.  In 2013, the Foundation will provide full funding for ten young Koreans under the UNV Internship Programme.

Houay Ngou, Lao PDR: My last field visit was for a small hydro power project in the remote village of Houay Ngou in northern Lao PDR. The villagers had invited our GEF (Global Environment Facility) SGP (Small Grants Programme) team to the opening ceremony to celebrate the launch of the new small hydro power generating system. It takes almost two days to reach the village from Vientiane, the capital city, due to its remote mountainous location and dusty road conditions, but we were happy to attend.