Compassion, commitment, impact—these are not just words for Okba Doghim—they describe his motivation to volunteer.

The campaign marked International Youth Day and was made possible through a partnership with the Iraqi Ministry of Health and the United Nations entities, including the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Volunteers, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization.

My name is Sadoscar Hakizimana. I am from Burundi. I am a medical doctor by profession. I started my volunteer assignment roughly two years ago — in August 2022.

Georgina Edwards, UN Volunteer Innovation Analyst with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in South Africa After finishing my graduate degree, I interned with UN-Habitat and that set the stage for my UN career.  Transitioning to a UN Volunteer assignment in 2021 was a turning point, allowing me to step into my dream role as an Innovation Analyst with UNFPA.

There are 290 million child brides in South Asia — the highest in the world, accounting for 45 percent of the global data.  Since 2016, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have implemented a Global Programme to End Child Marriage in 12 of the highest prevalence countries — including Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.

Lydie Nodjimadjim Mbaidje is a senior midwife and UN Volunteer serving with UNFPA In the heart of Logone, a province located in the south-west of Chad. Her contribution pivots around the crucial aspects of health education and awareness. She supervises midwives, and trains the local population on contraceptives and emergency neonatal obstetric care.

Through concerted efforts in Central Asia, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) aims to expand the opportunities for women and girls, promote positive social norms by engaging men and establish comprehensive systems and mechanisms for women and adolescents. Héloïse Versavel, UN Volunteer Gender-Based Violence Specialist supports UNFPA in Kazakhstan. She has a background in Human Rights Law. 

It is a crisp Monday morning in September 2023. The bus from East Brunswick, New Jersey, starts its journey towards the Port Authority terminal in New York. I am about to begin my first day as the new Chief of the Operational Support and Quality Assurance Branch at the Policy and Strategy Division of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Just as the bus transports me from point A to B, I am whisked away by a train of thought.

As peace gives impetus for Iraq to move from a crisis context to development, United Nations Volunteers (UNV) looks forward to working with the Government of Iraq and integrating volunteers into the country's sustainable development agenda. --Kyoko Yokosuka, UNV Deputy Executive Coordinator These were the words of Ms Kyoko Yokosuka, UNV Deputy Executive Coordinator, as she addressed the audience at the high-level International Volunteer Day (IVD) event in Baghdad. 

The monumental task ahead In 2017, my journey began. I, a UN Volunteer, was given a task that would span three eventful years: to support the National Institute of Statistics (INS) for the 5th General Population and Housing Census (RGPH-5). But this was not just any census. It would influence and shape national strategies and policies for many years.