Demystifying mental health

Lynn Karanja, Associate Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Officer, UNHCR Ethiopia
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My name is Lynn Karanja. I am from Kenya and I serve as an international UN Volunteer with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Ethiopia. As an Associate Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Officer, I engage directly with forcibly displaced people, government representatives, and healthcare professionals. My primary responsibility is to enhance the capacity of UNHCR and its partners to deliver quality mental health and psychosocial support services to refugees and their host communities.

Through community interviews, group activities, and dialogue sessions, I often gain insight into the unique mental health and psycho-social needs of community members, many times in dire situations. These interactions not only inform our programming but also foster a sense of belonging and support within the community.
 

Discovering yourself through volunteering

UNV and UNICEF Ethiopia
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Since 1971, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Volunteers (UNV) have had a strong alliance for the protection and promotion of children's rights. In Ethiopia, UNICEF is currently UNV’s largest partner, hosting over 35 UN Volunteers (more than a third of UN Volunteers currently serving in the country). Selam Tsige, Country Coordinator for UNV in Ethiopia spoke to Dr. Aboubacar Kampo, UNICEF Country Representative in Ethiopia about volunteering and why it matters, especially for young people.
 
In this premiere INSPIRE episode, we share reflections from their conversation.

 


The interview transcript of the UNICEF Country Representative in Ethiopia was edited for brevity.

Promoting reproductive health in Benin and Chad

UN Volunteers in West and Central Africa
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This is the story of two UN Volunteers in West and Central Africa who contribute to reproductive heath in Benin and Chad with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Through their volunteering assignments, Lydie and Charlotte underscore the United Nations commitment to elevating health standards and promoting Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good health and well-being.

Lydie Nodjimadjim Mbaidje is a senior midwife and UN Volunteer serving with UNFPA In the heart of Logone, a province located in the south-west of Chad. Her contribution pivots around the crucial aspects of health education and awareness. She supervises midwives, and trains the local population on contraceptives and emergency neonatal obstetric care.

Expanding immunization in Nepal

UNV partnering with UNICEF
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Ashok Kumar Joshi, Aarti Poudel, and Reshu Kuskusmia are national UN Volunteers in Nepal. They serve with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and expand the government’s immunization drive in hillside areas of the country. 

In Nepal, UNICEF supported the Government of Nepal to ensure widespread measles and rubella vaccination for children. In four key provinces, 281,233 children aged 9 to 11 months were vaccinated. 

As a Social Behaviour Change Officer, Ashok Kumar Joshi has brought his expertise to UNICEF’s immunization programme since September 2023. He contributes to raising awareness among mothers, caretakers, and decision-makers on the importance of timely vaccination.

Safeguarding health in times of crisis

UNV partners with UNAMA
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International UN Volunteers, Phanuel Tawanda Gwinji from Zimbabwe and Namrata Kundu from India are serving as medical professionals in Afghanistan. In the heart of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, they contribute to safeguarding the health of more than 3,000 UN personnel striving for peace and development. This is their story. 

Proving joint medical services and emergency response

From routine check-ups to critical emergency response, UN Volunteer health professionals within the Joint Medical Services and Medical Emergency Response Team play a vital role in ensuring the well-being of those working tirelessly to support the Afghan people.

Making communities sustainable though volunteering

UNV partnering with UNDP
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Eighteen UN Community Volunteers are part of Sustaining peace and social cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina through enhanced inter-municipal and inter-entity cooperation on local services (SPSC) – a project to support social welfare centers and social protection departments in nine municipalities across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There was no speech therapy service in Bosanski Petrovac says Senija Ferizović, "As someone whose focus is speech therapy, I work with children and adults facing communication difficulties. Due to the high number of similar challenges occurring in different age groups, I have conducted various activities with beneficiaries, gaining new practices from assessment, intervention, stimulation, to individual and group work. This type of assistance and support cannot be obtained in other institutions in our community.

UNV and IOM promote volunteering in Colombia

United Nations Volunteers with IOM
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2024 marks a historic year for the UNV and IOM partnership in Colombia, as the number of available volunteer opportunities nationwide to join IOM teams has multiplied.

In Colombia, there are over 600 UN Volunteers supporting peace and providing humanitarian assistance. UN Volunteers assigned with IOM are now 15 percent of the total UNVs in the country. 

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