Being African means enabling our communities to grow and thrive.  The spirit of Ubuntu—uplifting our communities. Growing up, I noticed that young Africans are often encouraged to pursue set career paths like law, medicine, or engineering. But in a changing world, the question should shift from “What do you want to be?” to “What problems do you want to solve?” 

Kátia Bampoky is an Inclusive Health Care Officer with UNICEF in Guinea-Bissau and supports child protection and health services for vulnerable children and their families. She focuses on training social workers and community health professionals on inclusion so care is given to everyone without discrimination. She also supports cases of violence against children and women—including gender-based violence.

I am 34 years old and a teacher. I firmly believe that to solve Africa's challenges and enable young people to realize their dreams, we need to rethink our education system fundamentally.  Inclusion is essential; we should ensure that every child, regardless of origin, gender, or socio-economic status, has access to quality education.  We need to focus on keeping girls in school. Too often, girls drop out of school because of barriers such as early marriage, family responsibilities, and restrictive social norms. 

I knew that this is not the way I want myself or others to live—shares Priyanka. “I want people to be able to access whatever they need. So, being able to contribute to development, to turn my passions into purposes, I feel very fulfilled. It feels like a dream come true.”  From very early on, Priyanka had interest in International Relations—this was further motivated by being part of Model United Nations in secondary school. That curiosity soon led her to a degree in the same field and a goal of joining the United Nations.  

Tetiana Mykytenko serves with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Czechia. She wanted to do something positive even as things looked bleak in her home country, Ukraine. She sought refugee in Czechia and that's when she joined UNHCR as a UN Volunteer Refugee Community-Based Protection Assistant. 

“By investing in education, building the capacity of community members, and fostering global citizenship, young people play a crucial role in creating a better future that is inclusive, equitable, and sustainable for generations to come.” The words of Diana Assenova, a UN Volunteer Education Assistant with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Kazakhstan resonate with the importance of youth and progress.

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.

Katrin Hermanek is an international UN Youth Volunteer fully funded by Switzerland. She serves as a Gender Equality Programme Analyst with UN Women in Lebanon. Her grassroots-level community service helps identify needs of women and girls. In coming up with solutions, a major emphasis is to ensure women get a decision-making role in their communities.

Cécile Giraud is an international UN Volunteer from France. She serves as Gender-Sensitive Education Policy Analyst with UNESCO in Dakar. Her role is transversal, she says.

Maissa Abdellaoui is an international UN Volunteer with a French Algerian background who serves with UNICEF in Senegal. Under the Gender and Exclusion programme, Maissa provides technical support to women teacher networks, menstruation hygiene kits or best referred to as 'dignity kits' for schools and girls, and organization for support groups for girls.