Malakal volunteers hold charity run
5 December 2013 - Commemorating International Volunteers Day, UN Volunteers in Upper Nile organized a fundraising “Run for Charity” for children living in the interim care centre of the state capital Malakal today.
The centre, which is run by the state Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, provides shelter and care for children separated from their families, including through conflict. The funds raised will be used to buy essential items like food, books and pens for the children.
“International Volunteers Day basically celebrates people who volunteer their time and expertise to be able to support communities where they work,” said UN Volunteer and UNMISS Information Analyst Hodhan Ismail.
UNMISS Civil Affairs Officer Satar Ansari said volunteers were from different cultural background and ethnicities although, but became one family seeking to help vulnerable communities.
The mission’s State Coordinator, Deborah Schein, commended the role UN Volunteers play, noting that they were tools of change in nations and communities worldwide.
“Volunteerism is a force for positive social development,” she said. “Volunteerism can bolster people skills and support communities to become cohesive and strong.”
International Volunteers Day is observed on 5 December every year, offering an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to make visible their contributions to the achievement of millennium development goals. This year, the day is being celebrated under the theme, “Young, Global, Active.”
“We are highlighting the millions of young volunteers around the world who are acting globally for social change,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message to mark the day. “There are more than 1.2 billion youth in the world today, with incredible potential to tackle challenges and act as agents of change.”