Joel Gallardo (Peru) served as a UN Volunteer with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Somalia between 2021 and 2022. He was the focal point for the Programme Unit in Kismayo and Jubaland during a drought emergency in Somalia. He shares the lessons he gained during his UN Volunteer assignment.

Iraq is navigating its path from recovery to development after years of conflict, and at the heart of this effort are UN Volunteers with UN-Habitat. As we mark International Volunteer Day, the service of UN Volunteers to Iraq's development context stands as a testament to the power of collective action for positive change.

Thibault Lepivain, an international UN Volunteer Climate Knowledge and Policy Specialist with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the Bangkok Regional Hub served from the end of 2022 to early 2024. He believes climate change is the most significant crisis of our time, and engaging in projects that address it, imbues a sense of pride and purpose. At the same time, being at the forefront of witnessing what the world might resemble by the turn of the century, coupled with lagging global efforts, elicits emotions of anxiety and powerlessness.

In the realm of humanitarian service, few stories are as captivating as that of Dr. Sathya Doraiswamy. Eighteen years ago, he embarked on a transformative path as a UN Volunteer, igniting a passion that would shape his remarkable career in the United Nations. Sathya recently joined UNFPA as the Chief of the Operational Support and Quality Assurance Branch at the Policy and Strategy Division of UNFPA, New York after serving as UNFPA’s Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran for two years. As he looks back on the memories of the volunteering journey, and his professional trajectory that has never been short of success, he encapsulates the essence of those who selflessly offer their time and hearts to uplift others. In his words: "Volunteers may have nothing on their hands, but they have hearts beating to the rhythm of others' joy and laughter."

Nway Eint Chei, a medical doctor, served as a national UN Volunteer Immunization Officer with the UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) in Myanmar where she supported the healthcare waste management system for environmental sustainability. In Myanmar, during the COVID vaccination programme generated millions of syringes and immunizations, and the issue of waste and hygiene were a focus for UNICEF. 

In a world where age often defines our roles and responsibilities, there exists a powerful force that transcends these boundaries - volunteering. At the age of 61 Barry Greville-Eyres serves as an International UN Volunteer, Project Manager with UNDP Afghanistan.  He refers to himself as a lifelong practitioner, after volunteering on several continents in Africa, Oceania, and Asia, serving just causes - governance, teaching and learning, environment, climate change, and democratic transformation. In the twilight years of his working career, he recently concluded 18 months of his assignment with UNDP Afghanistan as the Area Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives (ABADEI) Area Manager - Central Highlands Region.