Making a Real Difference in the Lives of Persons with Disabilities

UNV partnering with UNICEF
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His passion for social causes, coupled with a strong desire to make a positive impact on people’s lives, is what motivated Vangel to become a UN Volunteer. Meet Vangel Trkaljanov, a North Macedonian national who has served as Community and Educational Inclusion Programme Specialist with UNICEF. He shares with us his experience as a volunteer and the sense of accomplishment he felt from empowering educational assistants for the benefit of persons with disabilities.

Vangel joined UNICEF already equipped with a strong set of skills and understanding of social inclusion issues: his educational background, his previous experience in the private sector and with NGOs and his work at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy had provided him with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities and the importance of changes at the policy and system levels.

Navigating challenges to peace and stability in Libya

UNV partnering with UNSMIL
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This article was drafted for the International Day of Peace, ahead of the devastating floods in Libya. It sheds the light on the contributions of two UN Volunteers serving with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to peace and stability in the country. Amidst the current crisis, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is collaborating with UN partners to integrate UN Volunteers and Online Volunteers, in the emergency response. Available volunteering opportunities in Libya can be accessed here.

UN Volunteers play a critical role in supporting the safety and security of the workforce in Tripoli as part of UNSMIL. For Fabrice Bitariho, 41, a UN Volunteer Medical Officer from Burundi, each day holds the potential to rescue and safeguard lives. Using his medical skills, he navigates priorities, ensuring that effective actions are taken during time-sensitive situations. 

Improving agricultural practices for increased yields and financial stability

Naida Spahic, national UN Volunteer with UNDP
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Naida Spahic's journey as a national UN Volunteer in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the story of the power people have to bring positive change. She was a Grant Investment Package Monitoring Assistant at the UN Development Programme (UNDP). From handling finances to coordinating events, Naida's impact went beyond mere task completion. She empowered local farmers, boosted skills and supported businesses in tough times, showing how one person can create meaningful change.

My motivation to become a UN Volunteer stems from my belief in the power of every individual to effect change and contribute to the creation of a more just and sustainable world. --Naida Spahic, UN Volunteer Grant Investment Package Monitoring Assistant with UNDP, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Coming up with solutions for the forcibly displaced in Serbia

UNV partnering with UNHCR
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In a packed room, Dragan Mitić moderates a session with dozens of his peers, engaging them on the plight of refugees and displaced people in Serbia. The interactive workshop, In Their Sneakers, aims to boost empathy with those who have sought refuge and asylum in the country while combating xenophobia and social exclusion they often face. 

More than a year since its launch, In Their Sneakers has been the foundation of projects nurturing creativity in coming up with solutions for forcibly displaced people to effectively integrate into local communities.

Serbia, over the years, has seen significant forced displacement both within its borders and among its neighbours in the region. It currently hosts more than 3,000 refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants.

From Darfur to Yemen: the journey of a humanitarian

Maria Rosaria Bruno, Deputy Representative, OCHA Yemen
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At the heart of humanitarian work, stories of courage, dedication and perseverance often shine through. One such tale is that of Maria Rosaria Bruno, a former UN Volunteer whose journey traversed the challenges of Sudan's Darfur region to Yemen's current humanitarian crisis. Rosaria shared her experiences, from her time as a UN Volunteer to her current role as the Deputy Representative at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Yemen.

My journey as a UN Volunteer, Return, Reintegration and Reconciliation officer began in 2006 when I joined the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). With a background in international affairs and a passion for humanitarian work, my journey was fuelled by a desire to make a positive impact on the lives of those affected by conflict. 

My assignment in Sudan focused on handling the complex issues of returns, reintegration and reconciliation. I vividly recall the challenges I faced in navigating a complex landscape, while engaging with communities affected by displacement.

Saudi Arabia and UNV to create unique volunteer opportunities for the Kingdom’s youth

Bonn, Germany / Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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The fully funded opportunities primarily focus on economic development and other priority areas as identified by the Ministry, with deployments to take place in jointly agreed countries. Recruitment for these opportunities is currently ongoing via UNV’s Unified Volunteering Platform (UVP).

Advocating for gender equality and women’s rights in Kosovo

Jeta Krasniqi, former UN Volunteer with UN Women
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Jeta Krasniqi is a former UN Volunteer who served with the office of UN Women in Kosovo (as per UN SC 1244). Applying her law education and passion for gender equality and women’s rights, she contributed to advancing gender equality, and creating a society where women and girls can reach their full potential.

As an ardent supporter of gender equality and women's rights, Jeta Krasniqi has always been deeply passionate about creating positive change and empowering marginalized communities. This passion led her to become a UN Volunteer, serving as a Gender Equality and Partnership Associate with UN Women. In her volunteer role, Jeta actively contributed to addressing gender disparities, promoting inclusivity, and supporting the empowerment of women and girls.

UN Volunteers support food security reform in Iraq

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The World Food Programme (WFP) collaborates with the Ministry of Trade in Iraq to support the digitalization of the Public Distribution System (PDS). This is vital to the country's social protection system. Extending services across the population, the system also ensures inclusive distribution of in-kind food assistance.

A group of 40 UN Volunteers belonging to local communities was deployed by WFP in Iraq’s Duhok Governorate, which is located in the Kurdistan Region.

In line with the Public Distribution System reform agenda, this group served alongside field enumerators to register Duhok residents.

Serving tirelessly for three months, volunteers supported the registration of the newly issued PDS cards and also updated the residents' demographic information in the system - between 50 to 100 family registrations were carried out daily. Volunteers did so by using digital tablets.

Tracking progress towards the Global Goals in small island developing states

UN Volunteers with UNESCAP and UNRCO
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Teenari Tekeraoi, Deavina Ken and Uong Jameson Yalap are the three UN Volunteers tracking the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals in small island developing states in the Pacific. Their assignments are funded through the UNV Special Voluntary Fund, which underpins the organization's role as the United Nations system-wide service for engaging UN Volunteers in peace and development worldwide.

When Teenari Tekeraoi (Kiribati) began her assignment in June 2023, she was the first international UN Youth Volunteer from the Small Island Developing States in the Pacific. She joined the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) as a Sustainable Development Monitoring Assistant, supporting Fiji, Kiribati and Tuvalu in reviewing and monitoring their national development progress. 

Engaging with local talent for a community-oriented response to development challenges

UNV Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean
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The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme supports UN partners to integrate talent from community level into their teams. This facilitates inclusion and representation, as well as the mainstreaming of community-oriented solutions. 

In Peru, UNV partnered with two UN entities that host the highest numbers of UN Volunteers, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to carry out a talent outreach mission on the northern border of the country. 

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