Since joining the UNICEF Kenya team in 2018, I have had a chance to provide communication support for several programmes, contributing to my professional and personal growth. Most importantly, I have been able to impact the lives of children and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tell us about the nature of your posting I am a UN Volunteer with UNSOS based in Mogadishu, Somalia. The core mission of UNSOS is to provide critical support needed by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the UN Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and Somali Security Forces for effective peacebuilding efforts in Somalia.

The survey, carried out with financial resources from Japan, aims to provide a better understanding of needs and expectations in border communities, linked to the threats to security and wellbeing posed by illicit trafficking. People living in border communities, particularly in remote areas, tend to be less involved in the development of public policies, thus also benefit less.

Many are drawn to volunteerism later in life as a way to contribute and give back to the societies and communities around them. For others, volunteering is a way to fulfil long-held ambitions, explore new fields of work and develop new skills. Whatever their motivation, the work of UNV’s partners and the places they live are enriched by the contributions of more than 600 older volunteers undertaking national and international assignments across the world. 

I joined the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in 2007, driven by my outgoing, resilient and result-driven personality and strong passion for working with the underprivileged.  I served in Burundi from 2007-2015 as a UN Volunteer Surgeon for the UN missions that existed then. I also served as a UN Volunteer Medical Officer with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Medical and Health Services Manager (UNHCC) in Jijiga, Ethiopia, from 2018-2020.

The big problems of the world are usually solved in partnership – and the problems confronting sustainable development are no different. The global response to COVID-19 has given us many examples of partnerships in action.

In my current role as an Associate Compound Management Officer with UNHCR Somalia, I have been working closely with the UNHCR technical team in fast-tracking the construction of UNHCR accommodation and office facilities. Since I joined UNHCR, I have supported and coordinated efforts to ensure that the staff facilities are ready for occupancy within the stipulated timelines.

What does volunteering mean to you? Volunteering stems from respect and reverence for life itself. Our quality of life is contingent upon the kind of society we create and promote, and volunteerism is that vital link between the individual and society. Compassion and empathy are the fundamental basis for these links because they break boundaries between self and others.

A new project in Burkina Faso offers hope in prison in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic  In Burkina Faso, UNODC, UNV and IOM launched a project supporting the prevention of risks of deterioration of social cohesion and peace in the context of the response to COVID-19 at points of entry and in places of detention, with funding from the UN Peacekeeping Fund.