As someone who aspires to gain experience in a new culture, I was looking for a field experience on women empowerment in Africa. This led me to the UN system, and I couldn't have got a better opportunity than this UN Volunteer assignment. In my day-to-day work with UNDP, I am trying to bring more inclusive development work to the table.  In Cameroon, there are some great challenges connected to gender, where the roles and power relations are very traditional. Women usually depend on men and are less represented in the political arena and the formal workforce. 

While based in the Sahel - the most youthful region in the world, with 64.5% of youth aged under 25 [1] - I have had the opportunity to witness how youth volunteerism can empower young people and provide them with opportunities to actively participate in local, national, regional and global development activities.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit his native country of Burundi, Landry Irambona found a way to help respond to this crisis through the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. As a UN Volunteer with UNDP Burundi, Irambona took up the opportunity to serve as a Finance Assistant for the Global Fund to Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, where he has been providing invaluable services during the pandemic.

Today, we live in a world without borders: we are currently experiencing a global pandemic which does not follow borders; international terrorism does not follow borders; climate change does not follow borders. To address these borderless problems, you must have citizens across the world who are equally borderless and conscious about supporting the planet. I believe this is where volunteering plays a significant role and that we must invest in a future for these responsible citizens.

To me, volunteerism is a very fascinating journey of exploring myself, diverse cultures, communities and the world at large. In January 2016, I felt I should pass on my skills further to a more global community. Having acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Procurement and Logistics Management with CIPS, I decided to register for Online Volunteer opportunities with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.

Collaborating with partners, coordinating with field offices, drafting project proposals, scheduling actions and deadlines – these tasks are the foundational components of a successful project. However, delivering these tasks efficiently also means analyzing the broader context in which the project unfolds to enhance positive and mitigate potential negative effects on the social fabric.

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), refugees, displaced persons and women are particularly vulnerable to economic shocks because they are disproportionally represented in the labor market as either informal laborers or underpaid and unpaid caregivers.

"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.

Since 2003, more than 160 people have volunteered through the programme, which places them for one or two years in countries across Asia and Africa, where they use their expertise to contribute to Thailand’s development cooperation projects.

The project for sustaining peace in Tunisia through the inclusion of young people at the local level is being implemented by UNDP, UN Women and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with the support of the UN Peacebuilding Fund, and in partnership with seven different municipalities. Each of the UN Volunteers is responsible for the coordination of the project in one municipality, where social cohesion and resilience are promoted through the inclusion of the most marginalized young women and men.