I was a UN Volunteer in the Republic of Congo from 2016 to 2018. I was an Associate Logistics Officer based with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) field office in Betou. I coordinated logistics during the repatriation of Central African Republic refugees from Likouala to their country of origin. Despite immense challenges, it was a successful repatriation operation and this inadvertently gave steam to my passion for supporting the humanitarian context.

Yet, despite Africa’s richness in resources—diamonds, gold, and natural beauty—life here has its share of challenges. As an orphan raised by my father, I grew up without access to essential sexual education due to cultural taboos. Like many, I became pregnant at 17, but I was fortunate to continue my education. Today, Rwanda is working toward empowering young people through advocacy and awareness campaigns, fostering a brighter future.

This session will bring together youth from across Africa, leaders in government, development partners and relevant stakeholders to explore the role of volunteerism and civic engagement in community and national development.

This session will bring together youth from across Africa, leaders in government, development partners and relevant stakeholders to explore the role of volunteerism and civic engagement in community and national development.

For Firmin Sindaye, a native of Burundi, his motivation to serve as a UN Volunteer was fuelled by his desire to serve the cause of human rights wherever he is. Holder of a Master’s Degree in international and European human rights, Firmin has 15 years of national and international experience with local human rights organizations and the United Nations in the area of human rights protection, reporting and advocacy. 

Refugee children, the hope and future of Chad and the Central African Republic Thousands of refugees from the Central African Republic fled to southern Chad since the end of 2017, many of whom lack food, shelter and access to medical care. They settled in more than 40 villages and four camps near the town of Goré – an area that already hosts around 43,000 refugees from the Central African Republic and 45,000 returnees from Chad, predominantly women and children. 

International Women’s Day 2018 revolves around the theme “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives”– women going on the streets, women fighting in their communities, women coming together for their rights. This is happening as much in big capitals of the world as in small communities and villages.

Kigali, Rwanda: In cooperation with 22 other African countries, the One UN in Rwanda held consultations in order to formulate a nationally owned post-2015 development agenda. The objective of the consultations was to stimulate an inclusive, bottom-up debate on the post-2015 development agenda. The idea was thus to facilitate a visioning process, which is based on people’s experiences and ideas for the future of the world they want to live in.

Kigali, Rwanda: Every child has the right to play! (Art.31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.) It seems so obvious; yet there are more than seven hundred million children who have never known what play means. That is about a quarter of all the world's children!