One of the foundational data layers needed for the development of efficient approaches to solar energy expansion is information on solar mini-grid installations. These offer a sustainable and affordable solution to expand energy access, particularly in remote areas with high sun exposure. 

The DRC has faced myriad challenges, ranging from significant humanitarian assistance needs and chronic underdevelopment to political instability and protracted armed conflict in the Eastern part of the country. Humanitarian, development and peace actors are all present to support the government and the population with its recovery and development pathway.

At the heart of this community-driven initiative are three UN Community Volunteers assigned to FAO: Fatoumata Ka, Abdoulahat Ngom and Amadou Fall.  

Fatoumata T., Fatoumata S. and Ismail were actively engaged in sensitization events and engaging with communities on human rights. They conducted research, collected data and created content for dissemination. Their assignments as UN University Volunteers lasted six months, and their contributions were appreciated by OHCHR. 

In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and International Labour Organization (ILO), Alex has made strides in improving the capacity and motivation of health workers to adopt digitalization in health data management. 

Dr Sonia Bako (Niger) is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with UNFPA. On her watch at Buba Health Centre, Quinara region, maternal deaths have been reduced drastically.  Dr Bako, 51 years old, is in charge of community maternal and reproductive health care at the health centre. She contributes to UNFPA's mandate in ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe and that every young person reaches their full potential.  

It was early 2015 when I heard about UNV at an international job fair in Berlin. I had graduated with a law degree and newly qualified as a magistrate, with professional experience at the European Commission in Brussels. I was looking for opportunities that would take me far, and not place me behind a desk handling legal cases. While at the job fair, I attended an information session on German lawyers at the UN. Coincidently, the person leading that session was a former UN Volunteer, and that's how my journey in the UN system began.

As part of his role with UNHCR Chad, Sido oversees WASH facilities, coordinates the installation of new infrastructure and ensures that WASH requirements are implemented by local partners. This increases groundwater resources, enabling refugees and host communities to improve agricultural production, provide water for their livestock and generate income through the sale of surplus produce. 

As one of the fastest-growing cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bukavu faces challenges due to the lack of clean water. According to provincial water supply, the population of Bukavu has grown from 650,000 in 1993 to three million presently.

Launched on International Women's Day 2023, AWHC phase two will span over the course of two years and recruit young women professionals between 22 and 35 years as UN Volunteer health champions across WHO Country Offices in Africa.