Online Volunteers help close the data gap for the expansion of solar mini-grids
Six hundred million people living in Africa lack access to energy. Expanding the sustainable energy offer requires effective planning and coordination, as well as many layers of data. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is working with partners and Online Volunteers to address the data gap in solar mini-grid installations across the continent.
One of the foundational data layers needed for the development of efficient approaches to solar energy expansion is information on solar mini-grid installations. These offer a sustainable and affordable solution to expand energy access, particularly in remote areas with high sun exposure.
Amplifying youth voices from Lebanon in the global arena
Nadine Khawli recently joined the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in New York as a Youth Engagement Coordinator for the Generation 17 initiative and pens this blog. She credits her experience as a UN Volunteer in Lebanon for giving her leadership opportunities which prepared her for this role. Nadine was recognized as an ‘Outstanding Youth Delegate’ at the 2022 AFS Intercultural Programmes Youth Assembly in New York – the first Lebanese youth to receive this honor. That same year, she was esteemed as one of ten Outstanding Young People in Lebanon by Junior Chamber International (JCI) and the United Nations Information Center (UNIC) in Beirut.
Engaging with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has been rewarding. UNV has helped me develop my confidence, leadership and communication skills, make new friends and become a Global Goals Advocate. On my path to UNV, I was involved in community service throughout my years in school and participated in the Youth Leadership Programme (YLP) launched by UNDP.