"Volunteering propelled my career from UN Volunteer to Head of UNDP office"

Abha Mishra, Head of the UNDP office in Odisha
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Abha Mishra joined the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in India in 1999. She was one of 10 UN Volunteers supporting the emergency response to the Super Cyclone that ravaged the state of Odisha and was based in Balasore for over one year. Fast forward to 2017: Abha returned to Odisha to head the UNDP office. She reminisces about the most enjoyable experiences of her journey from a UN Volunteer to this senior position.

A young postgraduate in Development Anthropology, I started my journey as a developmental professional with a provisional non-governmental organization in 1991, working as Coordinator for a Course on Ecology and Environment in a remote tribal district of Kandhamal in the state of Odisha, India.

Over the next 8-9 years, I worked with many provisional non-governmental organizations and international universities on issues of forestry, environment, tribes and livelihoods.

Offer to UN partners for the emergency response in Libya

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The floods in Libya have caused extensive loss of life and devastation. UN Volunteers can add talent and human resources to your rapid response teams. United Nations partners can refer to the UN Partner Toolkit for information on the process to recruit UN Volunteers and engage Online Volunteers. Mobilizing volunteers is facilitated through the AI-powered and cloud-based Unified Volunteering Platform (UVP). 

Together, we can do so much to protect children from violence and abuse

UNV partners with UNICEF
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The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) implements Child Protection Programme across 17 states in India. The organization aims to build a safe environment where children, especially the most vulnerable, are protected from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and harmful practices. Ten UN Volunteer Child Protection Officers support UNICEF in strengthening child protection systems in the country. 

“Volunteering with UNICEF has helped me expand my knowledge on child protection issues and develop a passion for advancing children’s rights,” says So Dam Hong, a UN Youth Volunteer who supports adolescent empowerment to end child marriage in India, a core strategy of UNICEF.

Support the emergency response to Libya as a volunteer

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Championing human solidarity as part of OCHA's emergency response team in Türkiye

UNV partnering with OCHA in Türkiye
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In February 2023, a devastating earthquake struck southern Türkiye and northwestern Syria. Türkiye is still recovering after the earthquake which has affected 11 cities and over 15 million people severely. Over sixth months (March to August), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was tackling humanitarian emergencies on the ground with the support of UN Volunteers. Fatma Aslan Uçar and Velat Özalp are two committed national UN Volunteers who have played critical roles in the UN's earthquake response and recovery efforts with OCHA.

"Immediately following the earthquake, the emotions I felt compelled me to actively participate in fieldwork and contribute in any way possible," says Velat. After the earthquake struck Türkiye on 6 February, Velat left Spain, where he was pursuing his master’s degree and came back to his home country, Türkiye, to help.

Velat serves as a national UN Volunteer Humanitarian Affairs Officer. OCHA’s motto is to bring humanitarian partners together to tackle humanitarian emergencies – which they certainly did during their earthquake response.

UNV Online Volunteering offer for the UN response in Libya

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The Online Volunteering solution of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme provides partners with flexible and speedy Online Volunteer capacity to support rapid emergency response to the crises in Libya. Requesting and engaging with Online Volunteers is facilitated through the AI-powered and cloud-based Unified Volunteering Platform (UVP).

For partners: learn more on how to engage Online Volunteers.

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. 

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