Imagine a mother holding her newborn, dreaming of a safe, bright future. Now picture that same mother on a Pacific Island, watching as the rising sea swallows her home. Or in an Indian city, where pollution clouds her child’s future.  Though worlds apart, these places share a common plea to future generations—to leave the world better than we found it. 

Ana Lucia began her assignment with UNDP a little more than a year ago in August 2023. She supported the pipeline development and management of UNDP climate environment programmes such as the Tonga Coastal Resilience Project — centering on the long-term resilience of vulnerable coastal communities.

A national of Nepal, Sanjeev Roy joined WHO in 2022. He has previous experience in working with malaria infection in his native Nepal, which has seen considerable success in eliminating the life-threatening disease.

Asfia joined UNICEF Bangladesh in 2023. She brings a wealth of experience in early childhood education, play-based pedagogy, curriculum development, teachers’ professional development, and research.   As an Education Officer, Asfia regularly monitors classrooms. She gives feedback to teachers on widening their skills, refining teaching techniques, and promoting a positive learning environment. All of this directly impacts academic performance.

A retired Indian Army Officer with over a decade of military service, Poonam joined UNICEF in 2022 as a Child Protection Officer. She spreads the word about the negative impact of child marriage on everyone — the child plus society at large. 

Bhone's family was among some 1.9 million people affected by Cyclone Mocha. His house was destroyed. But he stood at the fore supporting recovery efforts as part of UNDP’s rapid response and early recovery initiative.

Xiaerbati was part of a team that provided vocational training and entrepreneurship opportunities to women from rural areas in Qinghai Province. These opportunities made it easy to access renewable energy, boosting agricultural productivity and mitigating climate change. “Volunteerism plays a pivotal role in fostering long-term economic empowerment of women by creating sustainable support systems and fostering community resilience,” says Xiaerbati.

There are 290 million child brides in South Asia — the highest in the world, accounting for 45 percent of the global data.  Since 2016, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have implemented a Global Programme to End Child Marriage in 12 of the highest prevalence countries — including Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.