Heather's experience with domestic violence extended beyond the home; Heather recalls having a close encounter with a male relative who tried to force himself on her. She also witnessed other women in her community being abused by their male partners. These memories from her childhood and adolescence stayed with her, and she often wondered how many women were suffering in silence.

My name is Kana Endo; I hail from Japan. I embarked on my volunteering assignment last September and I will serve until February 2023. I am one of the three international UN Volunteers serving with the United Nations in Mongolia, together with another national UN Volunteer. Looking back on my childhood, I enjoyed learning new things but at the same time was very shy and introverted. However, I was very passionate about learning English and cultures in different countries. Therefore, I chose a high school with English course.

Stefan leads the Spotlight Initiative's communications arm creating awareness of the programme through coherent communications and digital campaigns using messaging, data and infographics that tell the story of the programmes, services, results and impact.

Today, Yemen remains the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with 24.1 million people – 80 per cent of the population – in need of humanitarian aid and protection. The country is still struggling with a protracted political, humanitarian and developmental crisis. Acknowledging the contributions of UN Volunteers serving in such contexts, Mr Kurbanov chose to be at their side on IVD.

Vanuatu is a small island developing country with pristine coasts and luscious tropical nature that is also at high risk of natural disasters. The compounding impact of this is a climate security crisis, with quickly deteriorating livelihoods, and lacking opportunities for a sustainable ecosystem where all can thrive. COVID-19 only compounded matters further.

Suvd Bold serves as a national UN Volunteer Specialist Humanitarian Affairs Officer with the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Mongolia. Her UN Volunteer assignment is under the Talent Programme for Persons with Disabilities of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, funded by Sweden.  When Suvd joined UNV eight months ago, it was a dream come true.

According to my mother; Miriam Palma, when I was one year old, I was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. At the age of four, I completely lost my sight. My family was in shock by my situation, they did all that they could, and there was no option for surgery. I have had to deal with my condition my entire life. "Today, I can say that I found the way to reach my full potential," says Antonio Palma, UN Volunteer serving for the UN Resident Coordinator's Office.

The 2022 SWVR reveals that cooperation between volunteers and governments helps build collaborative decision-making. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative research with case studies from around the world, it also highlights the role of local volunteers as brokers between their communities and state authorities and underlines the diverse paths volunteering offers to civic participation.

Chaired by the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Namibia, the UN CPRP contributed to strengthening national health capacity and systems as well as providing operational assistance on logistics, especially for the procurement of medical equipment, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In Luwuk, about 12 hours drive away from Palu when the earthquake hit, Tofan, then 24, feared the worst from a disaster that eventually killed more than 4,300 people. “We were very panicked for our loved ones. We could not contact them because there was no phone connection and electricity,” he says.