Shared Lives, Shared Future

Roly
Policeman
Peru

"What we’re learning in these workshops allows us to improve our day-to-day work. We can now effectively identify tree species used for wood, avoiding shortcomings in our investigations."

In the Peruvian Amazon, illegal logging and mining pose serious threats to biodiversity and communities. There, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is training law enforcement on forensic techniques to detect and investigate illegal exploitation. Photo: UNODC

Malivan
Health Worker
Thailand

"With WHO's support, we have access to antidotes and training, so we can save lives when people come to hospital with poisoning or snakebites."^*

Malivan rushes to get an antidote to a hospital. As part of Thailand’s national antidote programme, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ramathibodi Poison Center works with WHO to improve access to antidotes, train health workers, and track poisoning trends across the region. Photo: WHO/Amanda Mustard

^*Quote extracted from story

Pablo
Dairy Farmer
Uruguay

"I grew up not knowing much about biogas or the circular economy. Thanks to the UN, I achieved my dream and set an example for others."

In Uruguay, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Biovalor project helped Pablo install a biodigester to convert farm waste into renewable energy and fertilizer. This innovation made his farm more sustainable and efficient, setting a national example for climate-smart agriculture in the livestock sector. Photo: UNIDO

Natalia
Professor
Russian Federation

"With UN support and through the Sustainable Development Goals, I was able to create a methodology for training university staff in the field of sustainable development."

Moscow’s UN Information Centre conducts outreach and advocacy on sustainable development, allowing educators to transfer knowledge through their work. United Nations entities in Russia also develop partnerships with universities, focusing on different aspects of sustainable development. Photo: Andrey Cheshev

Hiếu
Greenhouse Vegetable Farmer
Viet Nam

"We want to create a sustainable and profitable agricultural sector. They taught us everything, from using safe pesticides to managing the greenhouse environment."

Smart farming integrates modern technology into agriculture to enhance efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. With the backing of South Korea, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is empowering farmers with smart farming techniques such as optimized greenhouses, improving yields and market access year-round. Photo: FAO/Quach Trung Dung

Jennifer
Peer Mentor
Mexico

"Thanks to a UN project, I’m now that annoying friend who hands out condoms at parties."

Obède
Student
Congo

"The teacher explained to me that a birth certificate allows me to go to school and be considered a citizen."

Like more than half of children in Congolese forest communities, Obède could not go to school because he lacked a birth certificate. Now, thanks to a project by the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization and UNICEF in support of the government, he can. Photo: UNICEF

Ghil'ad
Professor of Linguistics
Israel

"The UN’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages played a huge role towards language reclamation, revitalization and reinvigoration."

Ghil’ad has dedicated his life to reclaiming dormant indigenous languages. The UN’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-32) supports efforts to revive and value indigenous languages as not only means of communication, but also vehicles for traditional knowledge, cultures, and ways of life. Photo: Personal archive

Clodagh
Student
Ireland

"Through the UN, I’ve learned that fashion can be a powerful force for good."

Thanks to UNICEF, students are becoming more conscious of their fashion choices: ethical production, child labour, and sustainability. Clodagh is involved in the Junk Kouture initiative, empowering young people to turn waste into wearable statements for climate and social justice. Photo: Brian McEvoy

Mekdes
Heavy Vehicle Driving Instructor
Ethiopia

"After the training, I managed to pursue the career I love, with a better salary and working conditions. The UN made my dream come true!"

The Misale Driver Training Academy trains young Ethiopians like Mekdes as commercial vehicle drivers, contributing to safer roads, industrial workforce development, and gender equality. It was established by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) together with the Ethiopian government, Sweden’s development agency, and Volvo. Photo: UNIDO

Yuriko
App Developer
Japan

"Thanks to this app, wheelchair users like me can share experiences to help others go around the city more smoothly. The UN helps address our rights as human rights, beyond welfare."

Yuriko, a wheelchair user in Tokyo, Japan, engaged with UN experts through the United Nations Information Centre. Inspired by the UN's rights-based approach to disability, she worked on 'WheeLog' a user-generated accessibility map application helping wheelchair users move around Tokyo and the region. Photo: Aoi Sugiyama

Samara
Student
Angola

"I’ve learned so much through this project — and I’m also earning money that helps me support myself."

As part of a youth-led project supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Samara produces reusable menstrual kits — pads, underwear, and a bracelet representing the menstrual cycle — for women in need, building skills and confidence while earning enough to cover university tuition. Photo: UNFPA/Noriko Hayashi

Evaldo and Laurinha
Family
Brazil

"Here we were very welcomed by the UN."

Following historic floods in Brazil in 2024, the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) partnered with the Rio Grande do Sul Government to assist displaced families with humanitarian aid and protection. Photo: IOM/Joana Berwanger

Abd Younis
Farmer
Iraq

"Thanks to the UN, I received support to improve my farming tools and market my crops, helping me continue providing for my family."

Abd Younis leads more than 40 farmers in Nimrud, Iraq. They benefit from a United Nations International Trade Centre (ITC) project funded by the European Union that is improving market access, and exploring solar energy solutions to address water scarcity and high fuel costs. Photo: ITC/Moyasser Nasseer

Awah
Water Committee Member
Cameroon

"The water management committee looks after our resources, checking that public and private taps are in good condition. I’m proud to do this work. I have drinking water in front of my home now."

Backed by the government of South Korea, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) supports Cameroon's government and local communities in bringing drinking water to more than 120 villages across three different regions of the country. Photo: UNOPS/Elise Laker

Susan
Returned Refugee
South Sudan

"When the killings started, my home was burned, and floods rendered the land uninhabitable. I fled to a UN protection camp, then to Sudan. Now I am back."

Susan was among millions displaced by recurring waves of conflict in South Sudan, when countless lives were saved thanks to the UN presence. Having fled to neighbouring Sudan, she was able to return thanks to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Photo: IOM/Muse Mohammed

Yvonne
Cook and Entrepreneur
Indonesia

"Before, I was selling simple snacks on the beach. Now I cook full meals and deliver them to homestays."

Yvonne lives in Budo, one of four villages supported by an International Labour Organization (ILO) programme helping communities diversify into sustainable tourism and providing skills to local entrepreneurs, mostly women. The village has increased its income from tourism fivefold, and now appears on the tourist trail. Photo: UNIC Jakarta/Adwit Pramono

Signe
Data Protection Lawyer
Denmark

"The UN’s advocacy work showed me how many rights we have as individuals, but also how few truly enjoy those fundamental rights. We must continue to fight for our rights. It is empowering to be part of the pushback against those trying to diminish sexual and reproductive rights!"

UNFPA, the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, promotes gender equality and empowers women, girls and youth globally to take control of their bodies and futures. Signe is one of countless young women motivated by advocacy to ensure rights and choices for all. Photo: UN City Copenhagen/Thomas Frode

Derniella
Smallholder Farmer
Haiti

"To water our plots, we had to walk an hour to the river. With this new system, we can better manage market gardens and produce vegetables for sale and for our families."

Water management is a serious concern in Haiti. With less rain than in the past, farmers need other ways to irrigate. With backing from Québec, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is providing a simple and low-cost drip irrigation system using plastic barrels. Photo: FAO

Bakhtiyar
Beekeeper
Uzbekistan

"With just 10 beehives and support from the UN, I built a business and created a steady income for my family."

After losing his job at a honey factory, Bakhtiyar started out on his own. Now, with the support of the United Nations and Japan, he has 200 hives and a hive workshop, and trains more than 70 people, many of them women. Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan/Arslan Kannazarov

Víctor Hugo
Mechanical and Industrial Engineer
Guatemala

"With UN support, I co-led about 100 people to build Guatemala’s first satellite, QUETZAL-1. This introduced aerospace engineering to our country and became a symbol of hope, inspiring a new generation to reach for the stars."

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) works for all countries to benefit from space. Guatemala’s milestone QUETZAL-1 was part of an initiative by UNOOSA and Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency enabling developing countries to deploy CubeSats from the International Space Station’s Kibo module. Photo: Universidad del Valle de Guatemala/Sandy Hernández

Melinda
Healthcare Professional
United States of America

"In California, drought-driven wildfires devastate communities and choke our air with smoke. The global climate crisis requires the kind of international coordination only the UN provides."

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) tackles the climate crisis, turning science into action. From providing evidence that shapes stronger climate policies, to supporting low-carbon transitions, it helps nations address risks such as droughts and wildfires that threaten lives, air quality and communities worldwide. Photo: José Herrarte

Sorelly
Farmer
Colombia

"UN support is opening doors for us. With better financial stability, we can have better access to food for our families."

Backed by the government of South Korea, 'Peaceful Opportunities, Rural Women' is a World Food Programme project helping women in rural areas strengthen their livelihoods and improve their sources of nutrition, bettering food security for them and their communities in Colombia's Pacific region. Photo: WFP/Giulio D’Adamo

Hafsat
Entrepreneur
Nigeria

"The UN procurement training was an eye-opener. Before the training, I had never participated in a bid and had no knowledge of the process."

UN Women’s Procurement Training has reshaped Hafsat's journey as an entrepreneur, providing her with the confidence and skills to engage in procurement opportunities. Since completing the programme, she has participated in three bidding opportunities. Photo: UN Women Nigeria

Jerzy
Retiree
Poland

"My childhood was marred by World War II, but I thank the UN that I didn’t experience war again."

Founded in the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations is dedicated to international peace and security. Championing diplomacy, peace-building and humanitarian assistance, the UN stands for a world free from the horrors that marred Jerzy’s childhood – and those of millions of others. Photo: UN/Aleksandra Szorc

Oscar
Student
Sweden

"Smoking isn’t seen as cool anymore. My generation grew up with graphic warnings on cigarette packs and smoke-free spaces."

The United Nations is supporting governments to reduce tobacco use and save lives. Signed by more than 180 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO)-negotiated Framework Convention on Tobacco Control advocates for tobacco advertising bans, graphic warnings, higher taxes on tobacco and smoke-free public spaces. Photo: Nicklas Elmrin

Priyantha
Head Nurse
Sri Lanka

"We now provide pregnant women a safe and secure childbirth experience. Compared to our previous delivery room, more mothers are happy to deliver their babies here."

With backing from South Korea, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) helped remodel a building at the Korea-Sri Lanka Friendship Hospital, improving its maternal and neonatal health services. Photo: UNOPS/Magnet Studio

Teslim
Community leader
Mauritania

"We started planting trees around the houses. Since the start of the programme, the dunes have been stabilized. Many trees have grown."

The Great Green Wall initiative, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with European Union funding, puts communities at the centre of restoration and reforestation, advising on selection, plantation and harvesting of tree and grass species to fight land degradation and desertification. Photo: FAO/Giulio Napolitano

Mohammed
Wastewater Plants Operator
Yemen

"Before using solar power, sewage used to flood our area whenever diesel ran out. Thanks to UN support, now operations are more efficient and fuel consumption has significantly decreased."

In Yemen, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) restored more than 23,000 meters of sanitation networks, solarized two wastewater plants, and provided critical equipment in a project that enhanced sanitation and reduced environmental health risks for more than 680,000 people. Photo: UNOPS/Akram Hassan

Agron
Multiethnic Village Resident
Kosovo^*

"The UN has brought the children together. The situation is far better since the playground was built."

Agron lives in Vidaje/Vidanje, a multiethnic village in Kosovo. Through a Community Trust Building small-scale project, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) supported the construction of a sports field in 2018 for children from the two communities to bond over sports. Photo: UNMIK/Amanda Fisher

^*Reference to Kosovo is in the context of UN SC Resolution 1244 (1999)

Alida
Artisan
Brazil

"The UN helped me strengthen my craft while keeping my Warao traditions alive."

Refugee and migrant women in Brazil's Roraima State, including in the Warao indigenous community, are gaining entrepreneurial training through the Luxembourg-funded 'Moverse' programme, a joint initiative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UNHCR and UN Women, helping preserve their cultural heritage and generate income. Photo: UNFPA Brazil/Isabela Martel

Sreya
Customs and Excise Officer
Cambodia

"The UN Women Professional Development Programme has been a defining moment in my career, giving me the skills and confidence to excel as a female customs officer."

Sreya works in the Sihanoukville Control Unit, tackling illicit trade through Cambodia’s busiest seaport. The Passenger and Cargo Control Programme, implemented by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with the World Customs Organization and INTERPOL, offers capacity-building to women working in customs and excise. Photo: UNODC

Mulki
Student
Kenya

"I want to be a data analyst. This training has given me so many new skills, and now I can work and make money comfortably from my home."

In Kenya, refugees and host communities benefit from digital training classes thanks to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), working in partnership with the Danish Refugee Council to implement digital literacy training. Photo: UNHCR/Charity Nzomo

Belbachir
Onion Farmer
Algeria

"I hope that obtaining certification for the Oulhaça onion will allow it to be sold at its fair value."

Together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Algeria's Catalogue of Terroir Products lists 190 emblematic specialties and supports their certification. Among them, the white onion of Oulhaça, prized for its sweetness, is readier than ever to shine in Algerian and international markets. Photo: FAO Algeria