Our Stories

India: Transforming poor rural women into successful business managers

Ten years ago Pushpa Devi Maurya joined a self-help group to make ends meet in the village of Chak Padri in the state of Uttar Pradesh, northern India. Today this 35-year-old mother of two manages the bulk milk chilling centre set up by the milk producers’ company near her village. The centre collec more

Ion casts a vote of hope for Moldova's future

"Lume, lume", "Voteaza, lume!". « People, people », « vote, people! ». Spurred by a campaign based on a popular folk song, the people of Moldova cast their votes during the early parliamentary elections on 28 November 2010. Thanks to the introduction of an adv more

Justice for all in Georgia

After being charged with theft, Kakha Kisishvili from Gori, Georgia, faced a potential five year jail term. Though certain of his innocense, Kakha could not afford a lawyer to defend his case and received a prison sentence. Fortunately, however, after just a year in prison, the United Nations Develo more

More than 30 million Congolese register to vote

Bernadette Ntumba, 61, travels with her new voter’s card everywhere she goes. She is one of some 30 million people registered to vote in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s second ever national elections, scheduled for 28 November this year. “I always have it with me because it also serves as an more

Philippines heeds call of citizens in breakthrough land reform plan

“With a piece of land titled in our names, we will be able to make long-term plans for a better life for our families,” said Belen Nana, president of the Organization of Farmers and Tree Planters, a cooperative in Antipolo in the northern Philippines province of Rizal. “Now I plan to send my childre more

Local governance paves way for poverty reduction in Lao PDR

The rainy season used to mean a loss of revenue for Timchai, a farmer in the southern Lao province of Saravene. Rainfall during this five-month period would often make the road running from her village to the nearest market impassible, causing her produce to rot before she had an opportunity to sell more

Local governance in Rwanda

Murengerantwari Syldio is a farmer in Rwanda’s Rulindo district. Until recently, had no way of selling his crops because poor roads restricted his access to neighbouring districts. Fortunately, however, a United Nations (UN) initiative, supported in part by the United Nations Development Pro more

In Nepal new voices speak through people's constitution

Citizens of Nepal, particularly women and indigenous and disadvantaged groups, have been given a new platform from which to promote their aspirations for their country. As part of the process of drafting Nepal’s new constitution, regional consortiums of non-governmental organizations have mobilized more

Riding a radio wave in Lao PDR

At sunset in the village of Houay Jaek, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, a group of villagers are performing a dialogue about the importance of good hygiene. Recording their voices is 30 year-old Khamboun, a fellow villager and volunteer with the local Khoun Community Radio station. Khoun Radio was more

Cambodian councils cooperate to provide community with school

Several years ago, Soy Pheap, a 39 year-old mother of seven, was forced to make a tough decision; send her daughter away, or forfeit the young girl’s education. Until recently, Pheap’s village, part of the Tuol Pongro commune in Banteay Meanchey Province in northwest Cambodia, lacked an adequate sec more

New bridge improves links, livelihoods for Cambodian villages

When 26-year-old So Phorn gave birth to her first child three years ago it took her two strenuous hours on a motorbike, a ferry and a rickshaw to get to the nearest health centre in the neighbouring commune of Beoung Preav, in south-western Cambodia. Following completion six months ago of a joint in more

Women play major role in building Liberia's peace

Nearly 1.7 million Liberians, almost half of them women, had a chance to vote in the October 11th elections in 2011, the first organized nationally since the end of the country’s civil conflict in 2003. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) worked with UN and other partners to support Libe more

Indonesia: Fighting for Social Justice

By Tomi Soetjipto Three years ago, Indonesian housewife Ibu Odah had little knowledge of legal affairs. Now, the mother of two is at the forefront of a legal fight against domestic violence in the remote island of Ternate, in the North Moluccas province of Indonesia. With the knowledge and expertise more

"Now I exist": Delivering identity cards in Burundi

By Aaron Nsavyimana, second place of UNDP's storytelling contest. Those of us possessing an identity card can imagine how things would be without one. Those of us who don’t possess one don’t need to imagine. We know. We know we can’t vote, can’t be heard, and certainly can’t run for office. But it more

Women play major role in Tunisia's historic election

Azza Badra was one of thousands of women in Tunisia who competed for a seat in the country’s national elections on 23 October, the first since the dramatic pro-democracy shift in January this year and since its independence in 1956. Badra, a mother of two, ran as a Green Tunisia Party candidate more

A new opportunity for the disabled in Timor-Leste elections

By Louise Stoddard Car mechanic Joel Fernandes paid no attention to the two steps that he climbed as he entered the polling station for local elections in 2005. His mind was on one thing - casting his vote. As he posted his ballot into the box Joel did not know that this would be the last vote he wo more

Building a sustainable democracy in Libya

A year ago, Khadija Baba would not have considered engaging in any independent civil society or political activities in her home town of Tripoli. Not only was such activity forbidden under the former regime in Libya, but it would have likely landed the university student in prison. Now, with support more

Croatia: Witness support offices help to deliver justice

By Sunčica Pleština Vukovar, Croatia – “As an employee of a retail chain, to my greatest regret, I was the witness of an armed robbery. It was an extremely traumatic experience that forced me to change my job,” writes M. K., who requested anonymity in her letter to the President of the Vukovar Court more

Supporting democratic elections in the new Tunisia

by Jamel Haouas, first place winner, UNDP's storytelling contest Sumaya Al Arounony, a second year student of informatics from the coastal town of Ben Arous in Tunisia, had never voted before. But, on the morning of 23 October 2011 that was not the only reason for her eagerness to vote. more

More than 50,000 Timorese finally land property rights

Teresa de Jesus clutched her land papers and gave a shy grin. The 60-year old woman from Liquica, an hour east of the capital Dili, was one of 16 landowners who earlier this month received the first land certificates ever issued in independent Timor-Leste. “I’m very happy,” she said. “And I wa more

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