SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
A former combatant of an armed militia now runs sewing workshops to support her children. A senior retiree embarks on a second career as a volunteer, aiding agricultural businesses and enhancing food security. In remote forests, volunteers conduct malaria surveillance to curb its spread.
18 March 2025
Global
Success stories
SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
I never imagined how deeply volunteering could change my life. Like many, I once thought of it as something purely humanitarian, offering a helping hand in times of crisis and bringing relief to those in need. But stepping into the world of gender advocacy and women’s empowerment through UN Women has redefined what it means to be a volunteer.
07 March 2025
East and Southern Africa
Success stories
SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
03 March 2025
Europe and Central Asia
Exposure story
SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities
27 February 2025
West and Central Africa
Exposure story
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
Muteeb Al Hamdan, once an English teacher, now serves as an interpreter with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.. Describing his journey as “a passage from despair to hope, from terror to safety, one that felt like an ending but became a new beginning”, he found in his assignment an opportunity to use his translation skills to make a difference. With a diploma in humanitarian translation, he assists refugees and visiting delegations, ensuring seamless communication across languages and cultures.
17 January 2025
Arab States
Success stories
SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
My dream had always been to work in construction and pursue a career in electrical engineering. However, the accident forced me to reconsider my future.
Refusing to let my disability define me, I set small, achievable goals throughout my rehabilitation. While these accomplishments may seem minor to some, for someone like me, living with a disability, they were monumental.
Each success strengthened my determination to embrace life with my new prosthetic leg. Accepting this new reality was not easy, and I struggled to share my story.
15 January 2025
East and Southern Africa
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
The resolutions welcomes the progress made towards mainstreaming of disability inclusion and ensuring the enjoyment of the rights of persons with disabilities in volunteerism, and noting the importance of removing barriers to ensure their full, equal and meaningful participation in volunteerism.
13 January 2025
Global
Article
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
31 December 2024
Asia and the Pacific
Exposure story
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
Finland and the full funding partnership with UNV started in 1974 with the signing of an agreement that resulted in the deployment of the first three Finnish nationals as UN Volunteers in 1975—Mirja Heijari with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Yemen as a nurse, Matti Järvinen, a Radio Studio Technician with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Tanzania and Pekka Savinsaari with UN-OTC in Swaziland in a water and se
23 December 2024
Europe and Central Asia
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
18 December 2024
Asia and the Pacific
Exposure story