Michelazzi My name is Alice, I am 31 years old and from Milan. I currently live in Africa, Njombe, a small town in the south-western Tanzania, where I work with an NGO on a project for electrification and rural development. I have always had a passion for policy development and international cooperation: I started on a theoretical approach to these issues by studying international and diplomatic sciences at the University of Bologna in Forlì. During his time at university I discovered the Internship Program dell'UNV site UN / DESA, the portal of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs United Nations. I attended, just graduated, banned in 2004 which provided for the departure the following spring. In 2003 in Milan had done community service for CeLIM NGO, Centre for Italian lay missions, but my desire was to move abroad because he had already made contact with several NGOs. Until I was selected and, in March 2005, at age 26, I started my UNV experience: Eritrea destination. The internship, as expected, it lasted a year I signed a contract and I received a refund of $ 1,300 per month [at the time more or less equivalent to 975 euro], to the cost of the life of the country where I was staying. I then also entitled to health insurance and travel round trip from their place of origin. In Eritrea I was the only intern I worked at the UNV office in Asmara, supporting the UNV project manager in all activities of competence of that place: the management of volunteers arriving and departing, the preparation of a newsletter, organization of events related to the UNV Day, to participate in the activities of UNDP headquarters Eritrea. [At this link, the article "Volunteering for human rights in Eritrea and Ethiopia" written by Alice in November 2005 and published on the website A Voluteers in the section "Volunteer Voices"] Despite the usual difficulties and the many problems encountered in a foreign country I believe my experience is extremely positive because it gave me the opportunity to discover the "inside" the world of the United Nations in all its facets. In addition a kind of apprenticeship is an important element to their curriculum, as well as being a good card to play for later professional opportunities. For example, in my case, after the training period UNV, I found working with the NGO Iscos - Trade Union Institute for Economic Cooperation and Development - also in Eritrea, from May to December 2006, following a food security project. Later I came to that which is my current job, Tanzania: Today I return to Italy a couple of times a year. Who dreams of working in cooperation would strongly recommend this experience. Firstly, because living abroad for so long a period can actually touch hands with a certain type context, with all its problems: experience in a direct certain reality, in my opinion, it is essential for them to perform such work. And then UNV placements, having an age limit low enough [you can apply within 26 years] are a good starting point to get in contact with this world. Text assembled by Chiara Del Priore
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