Chinenye Anekwe is a UN Volunteer Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Specialist with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) India Office since August 2024. She is a 2018 fellow of GRÓ Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme (GRÓ GEST). 

Nesrine Kammourieh is a Digital Communications Associate with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Lebanon. She manages the organization's social media accounts, creates impactful content and manages the digital campaigns. She also monitors the performance of various digital platforms. 

The volunteering opportunities were with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Human Rights (OHCHR), UN Women and UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). They aim at building the women UN Volunteers capacities, while raising their awareness of gender and protection concepts. They also promoted their participation in recovery efforts and increased their resilience, particularly as many were affected by the May 2021 escalation in Gaza.

With her knowledge, Johanna motivates young people to keep tradition alive by teaching them the art of weaving. The toquilla straw hat is woven from fibers of palm trees characteristic of the Ecuadorian coast. Pile, Johanna's hometown, is a coastal community and the toquilla straw hat is part of cultural heritage.  

Cécile Giraud is an international UN Volunteer from France. She serves as Gender-Sensitive Education Policy Analyst with UNESCO in Dakar. Her role is transversal, she says.

In Yemen, UN Volunteers serving in Sana’a marked IVD with UNV Executive Coordinator Toily Kurbanov and UNV Regional Manager for the Arab States Christian Hainzl. The event was held at the premises of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and attended by representatives of UNDP, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Community radio plays an important role in communities across the world. Improving this vital means of communication – is what this story from Zimbabwe is all about. Sometimes it's tough to get started. It takes bravery to sit or stand in front of a microphone and broadcast. But that's exactly what a group of volunteers from the Auxeni community radio in Zimbabwe do, with the help of training from national broadcasters.

Marie-Noel Verwiyi (Cameroon, 38 years old) and Wessi Vaissoulaye (Chad, 35 years old) are both UN Volunteers serving at UNESCO and in charge of training the young peace weavers. Through workshops and trainings, they engage youth in peace and security efforts and economic empowerment. This is instrumental in preventing the recruitment of these young people by armed and terrorist groups.