The observance of International Volunteer Day (IVD) in Liberia, was held on 5 December 2008. The UNV Support Unit in close collaboration with UNDP/UNV Country Office Team (COT) in Liberia was coordinating volunteer based events in 3 different locations in the sectors including Harper as well as the capital city Monrovia.

IVD offers an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to make visible their contributions – at local, national and international levels – to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Over the years, rallies, parades, community volunteering projects, environmental awareness, free medical care and advocacy campaigns have all featured prominently on IVD

As part of our aim to ensure that our UNV Programme gave the visibility it deserves, facilitate the promotion of volunteerism in Liberia and in greater recognition, facilitation and networking of volunteerism in Liberia, we had put together, through a photo exhibition on the works of our volunteers who have served in the mission area of Liberia since 2003.

We were really busy like bees, setting up the venues with displays and partitions.

I really admired the working spirits demonstrated by fellow volunteers of UNMIL UNVs in making the preparations..

Additionally, we have mobilized young volunteers through a Miss Volunteer initiative to take the lead role in promoting Volunteerism in Liberia. All were invited to the Photo Exhibition (IVD Gallery) slated to take place from 10.030 a.m.-1.00 p.m on Friday, 5 December 2008 at the Monrovia City Hall.

This program was an important event to provide another opportunity for us, volunteers, to actively participate in paying tribute to the commitment, hard work and sense of mission of our past and present volunteers. Lastly, we had another opportunity to enjoy a time of volunteering with fellow volunteers. Several radio programmes were airing the promotions of the event from that day lined up for the whole day.

One of the highlights of International Volunteer Day in Liberia, and in line with the principles of social inclusion and meaningful involvement of our young volunteers, was by the hosting of a Miss Volunteer Beauty Pageant organized by the University of Liberia Volunteer Movement (UVM) at the University of Liberia, Auditorium at 7.00pm to 10.00pm on Friday 05 December 2008.

Large number of us, the UN Volunteers with friends and colleagues showed up. The IVD celebration was a success and meant so much to us and I would like to encourage your active participation at these events in the future. T-shirts, (through the generous support of the UNMIL Welfare and Recreation Committee) were distributed to all volunteers.

Interested to volunteer under the United Nations?. Please feel free to contact me, for volunteering under the UN Volunteers in Liberia.