Sára's real work happens far from meeting rooms. She’s in Chișinău. Listening to refugees. She is part of protection working groups advocating for people who’ve been uprooted, broken, and forgotten.“I help organizations speak up for refugees. I make sure help gets where it’s needed—fast.”

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. 

Humanity in action

When I first arrived in Poland, I felt alone, as if I had stepped into a world where I didn’t belong. The language barrier made everything more difficult—making friends, understanding lessons, and even simple conversations. I was afraid to speak, afraid people would laugh at my mistakes. But when I finally worked up the courage, I was met with kindness. People didn’t mock me; they encouraged me. This gave me the motivation to keep learning, to keep trying, and to believe that I could find my place in this new world. 

Before volunteering with the UN, Pavlo Tishkov crunched numbers at the National Bank of Ukraine. But when war broke out, spreadsheets weren’t enough—he wanted to make a real difference.

 How to Deploy UN VolunteersTo initiate the recruitment process, UNV requires only the Description of Assignment (DoA), which is equivalent to Terms of Reference (ToR), and the confirmation of funding.DOA templates and additional information are available through the UN Partner Toolkit.Benefits and Entitlements of the UN VolunteersUN Volunteers receive a comprehensive benefits and entitlements package, including:

Salome Margvelashvili, an Online Volunteer, inspired by — tech for social good — Commit Global's mission chose to volunteer through UNV's Online Volunteering Service. "Throughout my academic career, I've maintained a strong focus on understanding the complexities of crisis man

Tetiana Mykytenko serves with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Czechia. She wanted to do something positive even as things looked bleak in her home country, Ukraine. She sought refugee in Czechia and that's when she joined UNHCR as a UN Volunteer Refugee Community-Based Protection Assistant. 

The volunteer organization of the United Nations is United Nations Volunteers, in short – UNV, which provides grassroots-level response in emergencies and local-level support to peace, humanitarian and development initiatives.

In Poland, WHO faced a major challenge with the influx of Ukrainians fleeing war in their home country. Health aid was needed swiftly and in response, WHO recruited 13 UN Volunteers for two years (2022-23) in Poland. These volunteers integrated into the United Nations' response efforts and contributed to providing health services to refugees.