Mariko, UN Volunteer: “Volunteering is more than just an occupation — I think it’s a habit that we need to cultivate over a lifetime.”
December 5, 2023
Mariko Harada has been living and working in Moldova for about seven months. As a UN Volunteer Programme Coordinator with UNDP, she works across two Japan-funded projects to contribute to enhanced human security in Moldova, country affected by multidimensional crisis (flow of refugees, energy, economic etc.)
Having worked in emergency and humanitarian contexts around the world, Mariko brings a unique perspective to her role, as well as a passion for serving the planet’s most vulnerable.
Could you tell us a little about your career to date?
I have been volunteering at UNDP Moldova since May this year as the coordinator for two human security projects. These projects were formulated after the war in Ukraine started, as it impacted Moldova in many ways, increasing its socioeconomic, food, and energy insecurities. The projects aim to address the urgent needs of the country and the people in Moldova including refugees from Ukraine and Moldovan host community members, while enhancing local and national capacities and resilience.
I have been working in the international aid sector over the years, both in development contexts as well as humanitarian and emergency settings. Before coming to Moldova, I worked in fragile settings such as Myanmar, Ethiopia, Libya, etc. where life saving humanitarian assistance was essential. However, I felt that humanitarian work, though crucial, is only one part of the solution, and that the underlying causes and consequences of humanitarian needs have to be addressed.
So, one of the reasons I signed up for this assignment was because the UNDP uses Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus approach in responding to multifaceted challenges exacerbated by the war in Ukraine — it is relevant as a concept but its implementation still poses a lot of challenges.
What’s the value of the human security approach? What does it mean to you?
The human security approach resonates with me as it focuses on the protection of individuals and places importance on the people-centeredness.
It really puts people at its heart. The world can feel so polarised today, and different people are feeling different insecurities, from economic problems to health challenges, personal safety etc.
Addressing the different, and potentially competing, needs of different groups is a challenge. Interventions need to be context-specific, and comprehensive. For example, one activity from our project helped businesses create greener industrial processes. Not only does that help the environment, but it also makes the businesses more resilient, giving them the chance to grow and employ more people. In turn, those people will have secure incomes, which intersects with health outcomes, educational outcomes, etc. So in this way, we choose activities that build positive momentum with the finite resources we have.
In another case, we are supporting a shelter for survivors of gender-based violence in Ungheni. However, the centre is making sure to give people access to a range of services, including mental health counselling, social services, legal support, career and livelihood support, and more. The centre also has a mobile team that provides outreach capacity into the community. With this comprehensive support framework, the centre is prepared to deal with a range of traumas, including for those fleeing the violence in Ukraine. We’ve found that a lack of prevention and response services impacts heavily on survivors and their families, but also has huge costs for social protection, health and legal systems, and for society as a whole. These are interdisciplinary challenges.
What was your first impression of Moldova?
I arrived in Chișinău in May, when the weather was getting nice. So my first impression of Moldova or Chișinău was very good, nice weather, lots of green, many outdoor events were taking place, and people were very friendly and beautiful. So yes, a very good first impression. As I’m used to emergency settings, I even wondered, why I was here? Where was the crisis?
But the situation of the country is far more complex than meets the eye in the first instance, and I still have so much to learn to appreciate the dynamics of the political, humanitarian, and socio-economic contexts. But Moldova’s reputation of being a small country with a big heart remains intact, Moldovans are beautiful people inside out.
Why is volunteering important to you?
Volunteering is more than just an occupation — I think it’s a habit that we need to cultivate over a lifetime. Even though I’m working with the UN as a volunteer, I’ve also found the time to join litter-picking walks here in Moldova. I think this attitude is important because, in an increasingly isolating and divided society, volunteering can reconnect you with your community and sense of solidarity. It helps you to see a broader vision for a better world, and that this vision is not yours alone, but shared by those around you.
For me, volunteering is about doing and deciding things with my own will. About going to work in an unstable context or a conflict zone — nobody has forced me to do it, but I am volunteering to go as I believe I can make a meaningful contribution even a little.
What does UNV have to offer to seasoned and highly experienced professionals?
Not necessarily only as a UNV, but I have met so many professionals, doctors, mental health counsellors, and logisticians who take time off from their work and home lives to go into the field and volunteer, or do pro bono work — see patients in rural hospitals, assist displaced populations, respond to the impacts of natural disasters, improve waste management system, etc. Their skills and experience make real differences in the lives of people and communities. And these professionals find their work very rewarding. This was a huge inspiration for me to join UNV.
What do you think you will take away from your experience with UNDP Moldova?
Working in this particular context challenges me to have a holistic perspective on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. It is collaborative by design, so in these projects I managed we are perfectly placed to see how interdisciplinary working broadens the impact and increases our efficacy. This is something that has deeply impacted my professional outlook. I now think not only about what I can do on an individual level, but how we can engage communities and other stakeholders to identify the issues, and causes, and find solutions whilst removing constraints in the system.
With regards to Moldova itself, this is a country that’s facing multi-lateral crises. It’s taking a difficult situation and using that as an opportunity to drive growth. I think that this determination and resilience is something we all can learn from. I hope that it’s something that I can take to heart.
