I hail from the storied city of Bamyan, Afghanistan, where the echoes of ancient civilizations still linger, but the voice of Shahmama (the female Buddha in Bamyan) is suffocated! I am Zahra Hussaini and this is my story.
There was no girl to recite the alphabet
And there was no one to write
No one to read
Those sounds, the girl’s sounds
Had died under the brickbat of idiotism
And Buddha collapsed out of shame.
My poetry echoes the challenges in my homeland—Afghanistan.
Despite these challenges, particularly for women and girls, I've found a path of purpose as a UN Volunteer.
The circumstances I encountered gave me strength—an inner power to gather myself and act. I believe this new infused power came through volunteering—by lifting others, we lift ourselves too.
What I desire is a future where everyone, especially women have equal opportunities and are able to reach their full potential. This is not only an aspiration but I actually work towards it through volunteering.
My journey with the United Nations began in 2019 when I joined the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan to promote peace and stability in the country. A particular focus was encouraging women to take part in the peace process. During my over two-year volunteer assignment, I ventured into conservative districts, navigating the complexities of Taliban rule, to advocate for women's rights, and gender equality and promote women’s meaningful participation in socio-political eras.
One of my most profound experiences was supporting the visit of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed to Afghanistan. I had the privilege of organizing her meetings with key stakeholders and supporting mission reports. This opportunity offered a glimpse into the global impact of the UN's work.
Taliban regained power in 2021. In an unpredictable environment tainted by fear and worry, I was selected as one of ten Afghan UN Volunteers promoted to an international UN Volunteer post.
My new role brought me to Bangladesh, where I served as Programme Support Officer with the United Nations Volunteers Field Unit from September 2021 to December 2024.
In this capacity, I worked on partnership opportunities with UN entities. I supported initiatives that encouraged more volunteers in projects and promoted gender equality and inclusion across the board. In a talent outreach session in the city of Chittagong in December 2024, I helped spot-register women graduates to volunteer. In another instance, I supported a session in Dhaka on opportunities for persons with disabilities who could volunteer in the UN system. For UN Volunteers, I coordinated sessions for more than 250 new volunteers from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds—learning from their experiences and sharing my own.
My journey as a UN Volunteer has been truly special. It's changed me on many levels. I've learned how volunteers make a meaningful impact in the world. I'm proud to be part of a global community—more than a billion out there who make a difference to the bigger picture.
Besides the professional experience, Bangladesh brought me a lot of joy, from seeing rickshaw paintings on the walls and riding in rickshaws on roads to eating fuchka on the streets.
As my three years in Bangladesh have now come to an end, what I hold most dear is how much I learned about the culture, my extensive travel throughout the country, and of course, the Bengali language. I am on route to another stage of my life—furthering my education through graduate studies. I'm excited to see what the future holds. I hope my path crosses with volunteering again—one I cherish and look forward to.
Zahra Hussaini, UN Volunteer Programme Support Officer conducts a talent outreach session at the Asian University for Women helping fresh graduates spot-register on the United Volunteering Platform in Chittagong in December. @UNV, 2024.