Olga Tsaplina

I studied in Russia and Germany on a double degree programme and got my Master's degree in political science and international relations from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). Since 2020, I have been living in the capital of Kenya, Nairobi, where I am working on projects aiming at achieving sustainable urban development.

UN-Habitat's Human Rights and Social Inclusion Division is responsible for the inclusion of vulnerable urban populations in the agency's programmes and various other activities.

My work includes managing project teams, monitoring, communicating with partners and external audiences, drafting reports and project documents, as well as helping in the organisation of official UN-Habitat events. For example, I assisted in organizing the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and 40 Days of Safe Cities campaigns to promote the sharing of best practices in urban safety for all. Since July 2022, I have been working under the direct supervision of UN-Habitat's Interregional Adviser for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

I consider my main achievements as a UN Volunteer to be the successful completion of the key "products" of the Youth 2030 Cities project, where I am mainly engaged in organising a community of practice, monitoring the project implementation, conceptualising key concepts in youth localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals and interacting with the public through social media.

In my view, the UN Volunteerism Programme is a unique opportunity to start your professional development in the field of international development assistance. It is an opportunity to work hand in hand with real professionals, learn from the best of the best, and contribute to achieving sustainable development in a meaningful way.