In November 2016, I started my assignment with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) as a medical doctor and was directly assigned to Bentiu in Unity State. After three years there, I was re-assigned to the capital, Juba and have been working here since then.  I am currently on my third UN Volunteer assignment. My first mission was in Timor-Leste from 2008-2012 and my second was with the UN Mission in Liberia, where I was assigned in Monrovia from 2014-2015. Keeping mental health in check

I joined the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in 2007, driven by my outgoing, resilient and result-driven personality and strong passion for working with the underprivileged.  I served in Burundi from 2007-2015 as a UN Volunteer Surgeon for the UN missions that existed then. I also served as a UN Volunteer Medical Officer with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Medical and Health Services Manager (UNHCC) in Jijiga, Ethiopia, from 2018-2020.

In my current role as an Associate Compound Management Officer with UNHCR Somalia, I have been working closely with the UNHCR technical team in fast-tracking the construction of UNHCR accommodation and office facilities. Since I joined UNHCR, I have supported and coordinated efforts to ensure that the staff facilities are ready for occupancy within the stipulated timelines.

What does volunteering mean to you? Volunteering stems from respect and reverence for life itself. Our quality of life is contingent upon the kind of society we create and promote, and volunteerism is that vital link between the individual and society. Compassion and empathy are the fundamental basis for these links because they break boundaries between self and others.

Can you share the highlights of your assignment as a UN Volunteer and a bit about what you do every day? I have been a Community Outreach Officer with UNMISS for the past three years. I constantly interact with local communities, women’s groups, youth representatives, students, traditional leaders, faith-based organizations and government stakeholders across South Sudan to educate them on the core values the mission stands for.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit his native country of Burundi, Landry Irambona found a way to help respond to this crisis through the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. As a UN Volunteer with UNDP Burundi, Irambona took up the opportunity to serve as a Finance Assistant for the Global Fund to Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, where he has been providing invaluable services during the pandemic.

In Malawi, the Spotlight Initiative (SI) was rolled out in 2019 and is being implemented jointly by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UN Women in six districts: Nkhata Bay, Mzimba, Dowa, Ntchisi, Machinga and Nsanje. 

In Tanzania, Violence Against Women and Girls is widespread and pervasive. Patriarchal social structures and traditional gender norms perpetuate violence. Women may be socialized to accept, tolerate or even rationalize domestic and partner violence perpetuated against them. For girls, some parents prevent their girl child from attending school and insist they fail exams or encourage them to quit schooling. Furthermore, rape and child marriage result in expulsion from education as does pregnancy, all of which are considered violence or violent acts.

In Uganda, thousands of children become extremely sick and at risk of death due to unequal access to safe drinking water and poor sanitation and hygiene. Diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia, which are preventable with safe water and sanitation, remain leading causes of child mortality.