27 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Emmanuel Mutabazi is a Rwandan innovator who offers inclusive training programmes, especially for women and youth in communities that lack access to digital resources. A UNITAR digital skills training programme expanded his capacity to work towards his goal to make sure technology empowers everyone.

26 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Denis Opio grew up in a village in Uganda, home to a mainly lower-middle-class population. Computers were a rare sight, and knowing someone who knew how to use one was even more scarce. When he went to university to study accounting, Dennis grappled with learning how to use a computer. And that was when he realized that there was a need for IT training in his community.

26 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Basma Mohammed Jasim is committed to sustainability and innovating health care for vulnerable populations in Iraq . She is spearheading a telehealth platform to provide medical services, especially to those unable to leave their homes. Basma joined a UNITAR training programme on entrepreneurship and innovation for health security in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon in 2023, where she gained the tools to help set up her platform and create sustainable, social impact.

22 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Over 16 years, Iryna Markina built a successful career in sales in Ukraine. Because of the security situation in her hometown, it prompted Iryna to make a difficult decision to move to Turkey and then Poland, leaving some family members behind. Social integration posed another challenge as she navigated unfamiliar cultural norms, a constant worry for her family’s safety, language barriers and an uncertain future.

14 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - On early morning of 24 February 2022, Viktoria Podvoiska saw the very first bombs falling on Kyiv. She immediately gathered all her family and said, “War has started. We must leave”.

8 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Aiyarat Kosakul is First Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. He works in the Peace Security and Disarmament Division on issues related to weapons of mass destruction and chemical, biological and conventional weapons. He was nominated by his government to join the UNITAR 2024 programme on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in Hiroshima, Japan. The programme provided him a fundamental understanding of nuclear disarmament, allowing him to approach his work with a broader perspective.

8 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - When asked about her personal goal for women in Iraq, Alia Abbas’s answer is prompt and simple: “Make them happy!” Having worked in the public health sector for 31 years, Alia has dedicated her entire career to achieving just that. The UNITAR Gender Equality and Women Empowerment programme taught Alia how to manage her team effectively, which in turn boosted the skills level of her staff.

3 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Hailing from Mexico, Franco Escobar, a research fellow at the Hiroshima Peace Institute and PhD student, is on a mission to document youth involvement in nuclear disarmament.

28 August 2024, HIroshima, Japan - Luay Hussein Moh’d is a Jordanian entrepreneur who wants to create positive change. With over 23 years of experience in the IT field – from programming and project management to quality management – Luay understands how leveraging technology can solve real-life issues. He took part in the UNITAR Great Ideas Space 2022: Entrepreneurship for Public Health and COVID-19 Recovery programme to develop his project: an app to connect patients to pharmacies to improve access to medicines.

28 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - When the de facto government in Afghanistan placed new restrictions on women’s freedoms, Ayesha’s university education was cut short. But she crafted success from crisis. She started a jewellery handicraft business using Afghan stones and now exports bracelets, necklaces and other jewellery pieces through online platforms. In 2023, Ayesha joined a UNITAR entrepreneurship training programme, where she learned how to develop a business plan and built her confidence to continue growing her venture.