LocationsA purpose stronger than circumstances: a path to UNDP where opportunities outweigh constraints
July 13, 2026
Three times a week, for four hours at a time, my schedule is built around haemodialysis. It has been that way for several years now. Many people assume a diagnosis like mine puts an end to career ambitions. In my case, it did the opposite. It taught me to value time, stay disciplined and focus on what really matters.
Today I work at UNDP, supporting the organization's IT infrastructure, providing technical support during events and helping colleagues solve the technology issues that come up every day. Getting here, though, was anything but straightforward.
"Then, in 2020, everything changed. Life presented me with a far greater challenge: I was diagnosed with stage five chronic kidney disease."
My interest in the United Nations began back in 2007, when I was working in banking. At the time, joining the UN felt more like a distant aspiration than a realistic plan. Over time, that aspiration became a clear goal: I knew I wanted to become part of an international organization.
Haemodialysis became my new reality: four hours a day, three days a week. I was assigned the highest disability status. Suddenly, everything had to fit around treatment: work, family life and even the simplest daily routines. Yet it was during that difficult period that I came to one important realization: my illness should never define the limits of what I could achieve.
Throughout this journey, my family has been my greatest source of strength. My wife and I are raising three children: two daughters and a son, who was born in July 2022 despite medical predictions that suggested otherwise. Life often proves stronger than both expectations and limitations.
I first applied to UNDP in 2021 for an ICT Department Assistant position. I made it through several stages of the recruitment process but wasn't successful in the interview. Looking back, I know one of the biggest barriers was my English. At the time, my level was around A1. I couldn't fully explain what I knew or show who I was professionally.
"That rejection never made me give up on my dream."
After all, what can stop someone who knows exactly where they want to go? Even with a serious medical condition and regular dialysis, I knew that determination and purpose mattered more than circumstances.
That experience became a turning point.
I started studying networking technologies, systems administration, infrastructure troubleshooting and technical documentation. Learning became part of my routine, alongside work and dialysis. Little by little, I stopped looking at technical problems as isolated tasks and began seeing how entire systems fit together.
Another opportunity came in June 2022, when I joined UNDP as a United Nations Volunteer.
It was a completely different environment — fast-paced, demanding and full of learning opportunities. English remained my biggest challenge. Every day meant stepping outside my comfort zone: speaking with colleagues, reading technical documentation and learning the language of my profession in real time.
Eventually, things became easier. Practice turned into confidence, and my English improved from A1 to B1. For many people, that's just another language level. For me, it represented something much bigger. It showed me what persistence can achieve.
"After a year and seven months as a UN Volunteer, I felt ready to take the next step."
When the ICT Help Desk Assistant position opened in 2023, I applied again. This time, I was a different candidate, the one with practical experience, stronger technical skills and much more confidence. I successfully completed the recruitment process and joined UNDP as a staff member in December 2023.
One of the biggest tests came in 2024. For a period of time, I was the only IT specialist in the office, responsible for supporting events at the UN Plaza in Almaty. Sometimes technical issues appeared just minutes before important meetings. There wasn't much room for mistakes. Those moments often made me think back to my first interview.
"Not long before, I had struggled to get through an interview. Now I was entrusted with ensuring the reliable operation of the IT infrastructure supporting meetings that were critical to the work and reputation of UN agencies."
Looking back, I don't think this story is really about getting a job at UNDP. It's about discovering that progress doesn't always happen in a straight line. Sometimes it takes longer. Sometimes the path is harder than you expected. But that doesn't mean you stop moving.
For me, UNDP has become an organization that genuinely values people's potential. While health conditions or personal circumstances are often viewed as barriers elsewhere, at UNDP, the focus is on people's skills, their contribution and their ability to do the job.
"Real inclusion is not about policies on paper. It is about creating genuine opportunities for people with different life experiences to remain active, valued and professionally fulfilled."
If there is one lesson I have learned along the way, it is this: circumstances can slow us down, make the journey more difficult or demand greater resilience but they do not define the limits of human potential.
And if my story encourages even one person to keep pursuing a goal, believe in themselves and keep moving forward, then every step of this journey has been worthwhile.
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